All Kinds of Luck
by Miss Kansas
Summary: "Are we lost?" "I-I think so." "Don't say that." "Everyone stay calm!" Modern AU.
1. This Will Be the Best Trip Ever!

**Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving! Welcome to another one of my fics! This is a modern world AU. Enjoy~**

* * *

"Chips."

"Check."

"Water bottles."

"Check."

"All the marshmallows."

"All the check."

"Cookies?"

Triumphantly, Ruby held up a large bag of her favorite cookies from the cart. "What do you take me for?"

Yang grinned at her sister. "Of course you already grabbed 'em before I could notice."

"Cookies are like… the whole point of the trip!" Ruby exclaimed. "If we weren't going to get so many, I'd blow you off."

"Gee, thanks, Rubes," Yang said sarcastically. "Glad to know you don't want to spend some quality time with your dear old sis."

To cheer her up, Ruby slung an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Everyone knows cookies are prime time for road trips and hikes."

In defeat, Yang lowered her head. "You didn't even deny it."

A new voice chimed in.

"What you should be worried about is water and healthy foods, dunce."

"Weiss!" Ruby happily chirped.

The only reason Weiss tagged along to gather supplies was to make sure the sisters bought something healthy. She knew from the start that she couldn't trust their judgment when it came to food. Especially Ruby.

"What'd you get?" Ruby asked.

"Granola bars," Weiss replied as she carefully set the box in the shopping cart. "They're filling and easy to transport."

Yang sent her a thumbs up. "Good thinkin'."

Like Ruby was fawning over a cute puppy, she doted over her. "My girlfriend is the smartest!"

From the comment, Yang took that as a challenge and crossed her arms defiantly. "I think that title belongs to Blake."

"And your title is the best cuddler."

From the sudden voice directly in her ear, the blonde jumped in shock. "You scared the bejesus outta me."

Blake just smirked, taking pride that she accidentally scared her girlfriend. She didn't mean to, but her reaction was amusing to say the least.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," the faunus said jokingly.

The only reason Blake tagged along was to get what she wanted for the trip. She was like Weiss in that regard, and she also had nothing else to do.

"I thought you were in the other aisle!" Yang yelped, looking at the faunus' hands. "What'd you get?"

"Dried fruit," the faunus said as she tossed about a dozen bags in the cart.

Excited from the information, Weiss asked. "Did you get dried mangoes?"

"Yeah, that's the best kind," Blake replied like it was obvious.

Eager for the future, Ruby pumped her fist in the air. "This is going to be the best trip ever!"

From her sudden outburst, that attracted unwanted attention. Multiple pairs of eyes lingered on them. The grocery store was full of people for it being so early in the morning.

Growing up, Ruby and Yang looked forward to road trips with their father, and then a hike in the wilderness. The fire under the stars, the refreshing breeze, and the bonds made it the best camping trip. Naturally, now that the sisters were older, they wanted to bring their girlfriends along to experience the beauty of nature.

The reaction had Weiss playfully rolling her eyes. "I can't believe I'm going along with this…"

Honestly, Ruby was surprised, too. The whole group was. It took weeks of convincing for Weiss to even consider going on an eight-hour road trip, and then a several day hike in the wilderness.

"You're gonna love it," Yang reassured her. "The outdoors may not be your thing, but it's so refreshing and beautiful."

"I'm not worried about the hike," Weiss clarified. "I'm worried if I'll survive in a car with all of you for eight hours."

Blake chimed in when the sisters smugly grinned. "I'll keep you sane."

If anyone was going to keep Weiss sane, it was Blake. Sometimes, Yang and Ruby were in their own world. Yang could be a little _too_ extroverted while Ruby could be a little too eccentric. Not that that was a bad thing.

"That'd be very appreciated," Weiss replied with a smirk.

The sisters laughed since they completely understood. Yang, especially since her and Weiss got into trivial arguments often. Ruby was often the one to defuse the situation while Blake tended to stay out of it.

Blake curiously inspected the cart. It was full to the brim with food. It was almost overflowing with various foods and just as many water bottles. "Do we have everything we need?"

"Uhhh," Ruby mumbled as she pulled up the list on her phone. "We got the apples, right?"

Weiss raised her hand. "I got them."

"Green?" Ruby wanted to clarify.

"Red," Weiss answered, taking note that was the right choice based on her girlfriend's reaction.

"Awesome!" Ruby chirped. "I think that's it, then."

Happily, the blonde pushed on the cart. "Alright, check out time."

As the four headed for the checkout lane, multiple beeps reverberated throughout the store. The rings were incessant to the faunus. By this point, they'd been in the store for at least one and a half hours. She didn't show it, but she was eager to finally leave.

It didn't take the four long to split the cash evenly once they knew the total. Although, it did take longer to pack the items into bags and to wheel out of there.

The moment they reached outside, Blake sighed in relief.

"It bothered you that much, huh?" Yang asked.

"It's fine now," the faunus reassured.

Since the bumblebee pair became an item, Yang was more aware of noises. Her girlfriend's cat ears were much more sensitive than any humans. Even when they were muffled under the bow.

"I'm glad," Yang said with a smile.

From the grin alone, Blake felt herself blush. Yang's smile was brighter than the sun itself.

Ruby groaned in annoyance from the interaction. "Get a room."

"Why get a room when we have a car?" Yang said as she opened the trunk.

The car she drove was an updated black ford fusion. Over the years, she saved money to get the car. It was her baby. She got the color black because of her girlfriend. It reminded her of her black tresses. Inside, the seats were a black and gold leather. A combination she found endearing.

As the girls placed the bags inside, Weiss asked. "When are we leaving?"

"Count on eleven," the blonde replied.

"A few hours before I lose my freedom," Weiss said as she looked at the time on her phone. "It'll be nice while it lasts."

For now, the plan was to drop off Blake and Weiss at their homes to gather their remaining things like sleeping bags and pillows.

Ruby hugged her girlfriend with glee. "We get to spend a whole week together! Isn't that awesome?!"

Weiss adorned a deadpan expression that matched her tone. "I'm so terribly excited."

"Act like that all you want, but I know you love me," Ruby stated with a knowing grin.

In response, Weiss pecked her forehead.

From that, Blake crossed her arms knowingly. "Who needed the room again?"

Ruby gave her a light laugh. "We'll have the whole outdoors soon."

"Ruby Rose!" Weiss chided.

"Oops."

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?"

Like he was a worried father for all four girls, Taiyang wanted to make sure this trip would go according to plan. Based on how heavy their hiking bags were, they wouldn't run out of food.

To reassure him, Ruby hugged her dad. "Positive. You can go through the list _again_ if you want."

Taiyang sighed as he stared at Yang's stuffed trunk. The four bags took up any space in the back. At least the girls had plenty of space.

"Right, you know how much I worry," Taiyang mentioned.

He'd be even more concerned if the weather was bad, but it was a gorgeous day. It couldn't have been better. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and not a cloud was in the sky.

Blake nodded like she knew all-too-well. "We know."

Taiyang faced his blonde daughter. "Is the car gassed?"

"Full tank," Yang stated.

"Alright," Taiyang said. "I guess the only thing left to do is see you all off."

Before anyone could say anything, Ruby darted to the passenger seat while yelling, "Shotgun!"

The door flew open, and she slammed it with a loud thud.

"Wow," Taiyang said in disappointment. "She didn't even say 'bye' to me."

To make-up for the lack of Ruby's hug, Yang squeezed her father tightly. Even tighter than her normal hugs, which were crushing. Almost rib-breaking.

"C-can't b-reathe…"

Before he could die, Blake tapped her girlfriend on the shoulder. "You might want to ease up before he suffocates."

"Oh, right, my bad," the blonde pulled away and rubbed the back of her head.

Taking that as her cue, Blake gave him a brief hug before separating. "See you soon, Tai."

"Have fun."

When Blake and Yang got in the car, Weiss hugged him. When they pulled away, she said. "Your daughters will be fine."

Her gaze was stern and unyielding. Taiyang had no doubt that she'd keep her word.

"As long as they're with you, I know they'll be."

* * *

 **WHO'S EXCITED FOR THIS BECAUSE I AM!**

 **STAY DANDY,**

 **~TOTO**

… **this is posted monthly. The number of total chappys is on my profile.**


	2. I'm Surrounded By Idiots

"Yaaaaaaang," Ruby whined. "Let me driiiive."

Ignoring her sister's complaints, Yang kept a hand on the wheel as she gazed forward.

All around them, various hills covered the vibrant landscape. Blue and green mixed together to create the perfect painting. In the sky, the yellow sun showed signs of descending over the hill-tops. Every now and then, a flock of birds flew overhead.

"Driving is just as boring as sitting," the blonde informed.

For a while now, it'd just been the highway. No other cars were in sight. Probably because they were in the middle of nowhere and still had several hours to go before they reached their destination.

Ruby crossed her arms in defiance as she sank back into her seat. "Bet it's not."

Naturally, Ruby was growing restless. She was usually eccentric, so being confined to a car seat for several hours at a time didn't go well. She just wanted to run somewhere. Where? No clue. She just wanted to move.

In the back seat was Weiss. She couldn't help but notice her girlfriend was a little fidgety. She set down the few cards in her hand and gently poked the back of her head.

"You're hardly old enough to drive, dunce."

Blake flipped over her stack of cards and set them in her lap to look at Ruby. This paused the card game her and Weiss were engaged in for about an hour now.

"Didn't you just start driving a few weeks ago?" the faunus asked.

"Yep!" Ruby confirmed. "But I can't get better at it if I don't- my herd!"

It was then that Ruby pointed in the distance. When Yang saw the black specks that were cows, she cursed mainly to herself.

"Dammit!"

Briefly, Blake's cat ear flicked. Yang was oddly competitive at this game. "That's five-two. Ruby."

"How are you so bad at this game, Yang?" Ruby asked with a smug grin.

"Don't gimme that," the blonde replied evenly. "You can focus on whatever you want. I have to watch the road- I drown your herd!"

"What?!" Ruby yelped as she spotted the pond just to the left. "Ah, darn it!"

The player who has the most herds wins. When a pond or any body of water is spotted along the drive, the person who yells that they "drown your herd" gets to subtract "points" from their opponent.

While deciding which card to play next, Blake casually said. "Ruby, you're down to four herds. Four to two."

"Heh," Yang mumbled in victory with a smirk.

"Why do you have to drown all my herds?!" Ruby yelled. "You're a cow-murderer!"

" _I'm_ a cow murderer?" Yang scoffed from the accusation. "You eat more beef than any of us combined!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

While the sisters bickered, Blake folded her cat ears on top of her head to muffle the noise. She tried to focus on which card she should play next. The heiress posed more of a challenge than she'd originally thought.

Meanwhile, Weiss was steaming and not even focused on the game she was playing with her friend. Her face was red from anger. It was a wonder how she was still alive after four hours in here with them.

"Everyone shut up!" Weiss shouted.

Since Weiss didn't raise her voice often, the sisters went wide-eyed and shut their mouths for each other.

Then again, maybe this was a good distraction. Blake was good at this card game. A little _too_ good. It was extremely hard to read the faunus' poker face.

When there was a moment of silence, Weiss sighed. "Can you be quiet for, oh, I don't know, a second?"

Ruby pointed at the blonde. "She started it."

"Ruby, I love you, but you're both at fault," Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I'm starting to get a headache."

Ruby frowned when she noticed her girlfriend looked distressed. "I guess four hours is your limit."

"I see you're grumpy," Yang observed. Before her friend could retort that, she said. "I think someone needs a pee break!"

From the comment, Weiss looked skeptical. "Are you treating me like a dog?"

To tease her girlfriend, Ruby asked. "Don't we have buckets?"

It was then that Blake abandoned all semblance of hope that her and Weiss would get the card game finished. That comment was enough for her to cringe. "That's disgusting."

"I'm joking!" Ruby teased. "We don't _need_ buckets."

Yang nodded in agreement. "Pop a squat on the road."

"What?!" Weiss blurted.

"No one's around," Yang gestured to the empty road in front of them. "No one'll know. It'll be our secret."

"No!" Weiss yelped. "You may be able to do that, but civilized people don't."

Yang simply brushed off the passive aggressive comment and adorned a smug expression. "Moon anyone who passes by," this earned a horrified look. "They'd love it. Your butt's like the legit moon."

Multiple giggles. Even Blake chuckled from that one. Weiss seethed internally. This trip was going to be the death of her. Especially if it involved spending one more _second_ in this car with the blonde.

"You're gonna be doing that when we're hiking, anyways," the blonde egged her on. "Might as well get used to it."

"I'll have you reprimanded," Weiss warned with a scowl.

"Is that a promise?" Yang asked jokingly.

Officially done with her crap, Weiss glanced out the window. By some saving grace, a green billboard appeared. An escape. This was her chance.

"There's a gas station in five miles," Weiss informed. "Just go there."

Yang teasingly scoffed as she gripped the wheel. "You're no fun."

Casually, Blake gazed at her white-haired friend that sat next to her. "Enjoy the luxury of toilets while you can."

Weiss let out another heavy sigh. '"I'm surrounded by idiots…"

"Ahahahhhhh," Ruby wiggled her finger. "I may be an idiot but I'm not dumb or stupid."

Silence. A long, drawn-out silence. For once, Weiss was glad her girlfriend said something confusing.

Blake, reader of all books, spoke in utter confusion. "What does that even mean?"

Ruby just shrugged like she'd said that before. "It's open for interpretation."

"My adorable dolt," Weiss addressed. "We may never know what you mean."

The way Weiss called her caused Ruby to blush.

"I'm Weissy deprived," Ruby realized as she gazed at her girlfriend.

This elicited rosy cheeks from the normally pale girl.

Again, Blake was the one to voice of her confusion. "What?"

Ruby spoke like the answer was obvious. "I haven't gotten my daily dose of Weissy yet. I have to cuddle her or I'm not the same person. I'm not me without Weiss!"

The declaration caused Weiss' heart to flutter. Honestly, she felt the same. She enjoyed sitting next to Blake since it seemed like she was the only sane one here. But Weiss could use some cuddles with her adorable dunce right now. Especially now that it was later in the day, and she was tired.

"My baby sister's so cuuuute," Yang cooed. "Are ya sure you don't wanna cuddle with me instead, Rubes?"

"That's Blake's job."

"Fair enough," the blonde concluded. Whether the faunus knew it or not, she was the best cuddler Yang had ever encountered.

If Yang could look back at her girlfriend, she would. For now, she settled on the rear view mirror. Sure enough, amber met lilac in a fond gaze.

A couple moments of silence passed. It didn't take long to arrive at the gas station.

"We're here!" Yang announced. "Everyone go pee. I don't care if you don't have to pee. Just pee."

"Yeah, yeah," Ruby waved her off.

At last, the girls could stretch their limbs. The four piled out of the car and enjoyed the scent of fresh air. The sun beat down on them and a few birds chirped.

Freedom!

When Blake got the chance, she slid by Yang's side and hooked an arm around hers. In front of them, the white rose pair held hands as they entered the building.

"You're doing a great job driving," the faunus encouraged, which earned a lopsided smile. "Do you want to switch? I can tell you're tired."

"That'd be nice," Yang admitted. "You sure you're up for it?"

The only person Yang trusted to drive her beloved car was Blake. So far, the faunus had no accidents on the road since she began driving a couple years ago. Not to mention, she was a cautious, defensive driver. She always assumes that everyone on the road are idiots, so she takes the safest options.

"Why not," the faunus agreed. "I finished my book. Plus, I don't think Weiss wants to play another card game with me."

That earned a light laugh. "No one can beat you at the art of the poker face."

"I'll admit, Weiss has a good poker face as well," Blake said. "You and Ruby need some work."

"We really do," Yang agreed, fondness in her tone. "We're a little _too_ expressive sometimes."

"That's not a bad thing," Blake pointed out.

"It lead me to you... so it must be a good thing," Yang grinned.

In their case, opposites very much attracted.

Happily, Blake closed the gap and pressed their lips together.

After stretching some more, the group hopped back in the car.

This was the final stretch.

A few more hours to go before they reached the mountains.

In the back seat, Ruby and Weiss rested on each other. It was exactly what the couple wanted- needed. They were finally able to cuddle. It was the only semblance of comfort in this chaotic car.

Ruby's head rested perfectly on Weiss' shoulder. Meanwhile, Weiss set her head on top of Ruby's own. The two hadn't made a peep for about an hour, so Yang glanced over her shoulder.

Their eyes were closed.

"So cute," the blonde mumbled in awe.

It'd been a long day. The pair deserved some shut-eye before they arrived.

"Aren't you glad they're not making out back there?" Blake teased.

"That's why I checked," the blonde replied knowingly. "They've been quiet. I'm glad they're just sleeping or I'd have to punch the princess."

"Just make sure it's a casual punch," Blake solemnly said as she kept her eyes on the road.

Yang laughed at the fact that the faunus didn't even try to dissuade her at all. Fondly, she placed her hand on top of her girlfriend's own as she drove.

"How much longer?" Blake asked.

Yang glanced at the time on the digital clock. "About two more hours."

"Alright. Not bad."

* * *

 **The game called My Herd is a Kansas/Midwest thing. There are so many cow herds here it's ridiculous. xD It really is entertaining for long drives.**

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	3. Things Can Only Get Better

It'd been about an hour since the white rose pair had woken up from a shaky car. At last, the tires met gravel. That meant they were close to the campsite.

Eager with anticipation, Yang drove forward. It went well until she couldn't find the perfect spot to park. The Bumblebee pair's frustration worked with the trembling car to wake up the red and white duo in the back seat.

"Are we here?" Ruby asked groggily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Almost," the blonde answered. "Still gotta park this thing."

"Wait," Blake said as she leaned up in the seat. She stared into the distance and pointed to the left, where hundreds of bushes resided. "Park in there."

Yang slightly turned like she thought about it, but then kept going in her original direction. "Vegetation's way too dense. It might scratch up my baby"

It was then that Ruby pointed to the right. "Oh, park over there."

All around them was green, green, more green, and even more brown. Thousands of trees scoured the area. This left almost no room to park a car, or at the very least, nature made it difficult. Unless they left it on the gravel road. Which Yang wasn't too keen on.

"That part's covered in mud," Blake shot that suggestion down and pointed further to the right. "Park over there!"

"But there's too many trees over here!" Yang yelped in feigned frustration. "For the thousandth time, my car won't fit!"

"Then don't park," the faunus easily replied with a smug grin.

That earned a tongue that stuck out teasingly.

Not liking the idea of being in the car the entire trip, Weiss said in annoyance. "Can we _please_ just park somewhere?"

At this point, she was fed up with the trivial arguments. She couldn't care less where the car went as long as she got to get some space. She liked her friends, but after being trapped in here for eight hours with them, she was growing restless and frustrated.

To be dramatic, Yang slammed on the brakes. She was well-aware that she might receive a tongue-lashing, but at this point, she didn't care.

The sudden break caused the girls to jolt forward, only to be saved by the seat belts. Multiple gasps rang out as their lungs momentarily suffocated.

"Agh!" Ruby yelped on instinct. "Why'd you do that?!"

"We're parking here," the blonde declared, leaving no room for argument. "Bumblebee stays here. We've been trying to find somewhere for ten minutes! It'll be dark soon, ya know!"

Besides, Yang was sure leaving her car on the side of the gravel road wouldn't be too bad. Any people who pass by may just think it's abandoned. The black fusion was already dirty from the long journey. Hopefully, no one would touch it. Then again, that was always a possibility.

"Wait," Weiss paused as she perked a confused brow. "I thought there's a designated parking lot?"

Like she knew the answer, Blake gazed at her girlfriend, expectant.

"Do you wanna pay the fine?" Yang asked.

A moment of silence. Yang took that as her cue to continue.

"Didn't think so."

Not liking the reply, Weiss asked. "Are you sure this is legal?"

"Psh," Yang waved her off like it was no big deal. "We'll be... _fine_."

The lame pun caused Weiss to sigh and Ruby to groan. They should've expected as much. Blake looked like she didn't mind it and even looked like she quirked a small smile.

"If you say so," Weiss said, unconvinced.

Then again, this was Yang's car. She should have the final say as to where it goes. If it was gone by the time they got back from hiking, it'd be on her, anyways.

Since the vehicle was stopped, Ruby pushed on the door to hop out. It didn't take long for Weiss to follow her to enjoy the outside. When everyone was out at last, Yang locked Bumblebee with a satisfying beep.

Ruby spread out her arms and sharply inhaled. "Ahhhh, this is so nice…"

A fresh breeze washed over them. Since it was almost nighttime, the birds were settling in their nests for the night, so the occasional rustle of leaves lingered.

"And it'll be like this the whooooole time," Yang said with content.

Happy from the thought, Ruby briefly hopped up and down. "Wherearewegonnacampwehavetosetupsomewhere."

Before Yang could answer, Blake said in an uneasy tone.

"Uh, guys?"

From her anxious voice, the group turned to face her.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"I think Bumblebee's stuck," the faunus finally said.

Low and behold, half of Yang's car was parked in wet mud. Two of the tires on the right side sunk into the grossness. It had to have rained here recently. Otherwise, the mud wouldn't be this wet.

"Oh no," Yang mumbled, and she lightly pushed on the trunk. It looked like she gave absolutely no effort. "Yep, she's stuck."

"You barely touched it," Weiss pointed out, her tone suggesting she was done with today.

Despite Yang's initial worries, she looked calm as she tried to internalize what to do. It was then that Ruby gave a suggestion.

"Can we push her out?" Ruby asked as she gazed at the small car. "Four people might be able to."

"Good idea, Rubes," confidently, Yang rubbed her hands together before placing them on the trunk. "We can try."

After Blake joined her girlfriend's side, she said. "I get a snickers bar after this."

"Of course," Yang said like that was obvious. "You're not you without snickers."

Blake lightly chuckled. "I'm not me without snickers, and Ruby isn't herself without Weiss."

"Wow, we're so romantic," the blonde giggled.

Already pushing on the metal, Weiss said in a solemn tone. "Would you two shut it and push?"

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde said.

Together, the four pushed on the back of the car. Their muscles screamed in protest, and their tennis shoes sank into the mud, so that lost some much-needed friction. After several agonizing seconds, they could only make Bumblebee budge about an inch.

"It's no use," Weiss stated. "Why'd you park in the mud?"

Briefly, Yang looked skeptical of the question. "All of you were yelling at me! We had to park at some point!"

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Things are already going downhill."

Gently, Ruby set her hand on her back. "That means things can only get better!"

Sensing that Blake seemed frustrated, Yang said to reassure her. "We can worry about Bumblebee when we get back. It's not like she's gonna grow wings and fly away."

That earned a tiny smile from the faunus. "The wings would have to be pretty strong to get out."

"Bumblebee wings are too delicate," Weiss added.

Blake nodded, feeling better about the situation. "We'll get her later when the mud dries."

"Exactly," Yang chirped.

While they conversed, Ruby fished out all four of the heavy hiking bags and set them on the grass. "Who's ready for adventure!? Me!"

"Settle down, dolt," Weiss said, happiness sneaking in her tone.

She wasn't surprised that her girlfriend was as eccentric as ever. Not in the least.

"I'm just so excited!" Ruby replied in glee. "You've never been camping before! You're gonna love it!"

"I'm sure I will after we get going," Weiss agreed.

To expel her pumped up energy, Ruby tossed the yellow bag to Yang.

"Heads up!"

Luckily, her sister caught it with ease even though it was bulky and practically overflowing. After, Ruby threw the black bag to Blake, who struggled a little when it almost landed on her feet and broke her toes.

"Hey, careful," Yang said to both her girlfriend and sister. She helped Blake recover quickly.

"My bad," Ruby said as she handed Weiss her bag like a normal person.

"Thank you very much, dunce."

Jokingly, Ruby curtsied. "You're very welcome, m'lady."

After all four of them were ready to go, Blake asked. "Does everyone have everything they need?"

"I think so," Ruby confirmed.

Everything they needed should be in the bags. They must've checked a thousand times just to make sure. It's not like they were going to pour the items out and do another recheck in the middle of the forest.

"Good," the faunus said.

When Yang was stretching with the large bag on her back, she whirled around. The moment she caught sight of the white rose pair, she burst into tiny giggles.

"What's so funny?" Ruby asked.

It didn't take long to notice that Yang was just looking at Weiss.

"What?" Weiss asked, not amused.

Yang had to hold her sides. "The bag's bigger than you!"

The comment caused Weiss to scowl. The large blue bag did take up Weiss' entire back and almost went to the back of her knees. It didn't help that she was short, but she was more than capable of walking around with it.

"Yang…" Ruby mumbled. She was well-aware that the heiress was insecure about her height.

"I don't have to take this," Weiss said as she whirled around.

Now that she wasn't trapped in the car, she could roam freely. She set her sights on a trail to follow and stormed away.

Ruby looked to her sister with a frown. "Please don't make her regret joining us."

"It's a little too late for that, Rubes," Yang replied.

"Just- please try to get along for a few days," Ruby said. "I know you guys like to argue, but I don't wanna scare away every bird in the forest."

"Yeah, you're right," the blonde admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Say that to her."

Ruby suggested before following her girlfriend into the wilderness. Good thing Weiss' affinity was white. Otherwise, Ruby wouldn't have been able to spot her so easily.

Together, the bumblebee pair watched them disappear behind some trees.

"Ahhh," Yang exhaled like she was a little frustrated and said sarcastically. "Good start, eh?"

"You should probably apologize," Blake said.

"For stating facts?" the blonde egged her on.

"I didn't say I disagreed," Blake clarified. "You know how she can be."

"True."

* * *

Warmth lingered over their bodies as the crackling campfire reached their ears.

Dozens of stars shined brightly like a painting. The moon was full and the sky couldn't be clearer.

After just a few minutes of walking, the group set up camp for the night. The sun set quicker than anticipated, so when they found flat ground to rest on, they took it. After rolling out the sleeping bags, each girl sat on top of their own.

"You know, I was joking earlier," Yang broke the silence as she gazed at Weiss. "I'm sorry."

"I figured that out myself," Weiss said solemnly. "You don't need to apologize."

Visibly relieved, Yang sighed. "Whew. Dodged a nasty princess bullet."

Weiss gave her a look. "Despite a certain _someone_ , it's been a good day," she said as she gazed at the stars. "And night."

To make her day even better, Ruby hooked an arm around her own and pulled closer. "Aren't you glad you came along?"

With them snuggled up close like this, Weiss had no regrets. "Definitely."

Relaxed, Blake leaned back onto her girlfriend. "What made you guys choose this place?"

Behind her, she felt Yang's chest vibrate as she spoke. "This was our first camping trip when we were kids. Dad brought us all the way out here."

"Here?" Blake asked, confused. "Why? You lived nowhere near here."

The lack of reply caused Blake's cat ears to flick. When Yang didn't answer, Ruby filled her in.

"Dad met Mom here," Ruby revealed. "This place brings him happiness. We haven't been back since she passed away…"

Gradually, Blake felt the arms around her tighten ever-so-slightly. In response, she leaned into her partner closely. On the other side, Weiss made sure to hold her girlfriend tighter.

A pregnant pause.

Yang looked around, noticing that the mood had shifted dramatically. "Come on now. This depressing atmosphere isn't my style! Who wants s'mores?"

"Me!" Ruby eagerly raised her hand.

To get her sister food, Yang hopped up. She didn't want to leave Blake, but she'd only be a second.

As Yang dug around in her bag, she looked to her girlfriend. "Do you want one?"

"Why not?" the faunus said.

"Weiss?" Yang asked.

"Might as well."

After Yang gathered all the marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers, she smugly grinned.

That only meant one thing.

Blake folded her ears on top of her head, Weiss heavily sighed, and Ruby accepted her fate and waited.

"Everything's _s'more_ fun with you guys."

Groans.

* * *

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	4. Bravery

"Awwww, look at him!"

"Ruby no-"

"Ruby yes."

Before Weiss could stop Ruby, she darted over to the tiny snake. The slithery creature was wiggling across the grass as the sun beamed down. The multicolored noodle minded its business until the eager girl picked it up.

It was a tiny brown and black snake with yellow rings. Thankfully, Ruby spotted the creature instead of Weiss. The heiress didn't like snakes at all. Meanwhile, Ruby had no problem interacting with it.

Cautiously, Ruby lifted the baby snake. In response, it stuck its tongue out several times to get a whiff of the handler. It fit perfectly in Ruby's small palm and was smooth to the touch. Somehow, the corners of its mouth were twitched up like it was smiling.

"I shall name you Ramen," Ruby giddily declared. "And you shall be mine. My Ramen noodle."

Weiss stood there, inspecting the snake from a distance. "That's a bad name."

"You're a bad name," Ruby instantly replied.

"Getting defensive over a snake, are we?" Weiss asked, amused.

"Look at him!" Ruby emphasized as she held it out. "He's adorable!"

For a moment, Weiss glared at the snake. It didn't _look_ threatening. Probably because it was so small. The worst it could do was probably tickle. Reluctantly, she hovered her fingers over the creature.

"Go on," Ruby encouraged. "I promise he won't bite."

Eventually, Weiss made contact with the scales. They were smooth and not rough like she expected. After a second, she pulled away with a debatable expression.

"Feels cool, huh?" Ruby asked. "Have you ever seen a _cute_ snake before?"

"I can't say that I have," Weiss admitted as she hesitantly poked the scales again. "Maybe once on pinterest…"

Ruby scoffed like that was ridiculous. "The internet doesn't count, silly."

A gentle breeze flowed over them. The sun's rays crept through the tree branches and beamed on the grass below. There was the occasional bird squawk, but other than that, it was peaceful.

It was then that Ruby pulled away with the snake in her grasp. She batted her eyelashes and adorned the best puppy dog face she could muster. "Do you think I'm adorable?"

"Of course, dolt," Weiss said like it was obvious, which earned a blush. "You're always adorable."

A loud, high-pitched whistle sound reverberated in the distance. It was nice while it lasted. _They_ were back.

"Hate to break the moment, but- ah! Whata cutie!" Yang exclaimed as she approached with caution to not startle the tiny snake. "Did'ya name him, Rubes?"

Proudly, Ruby showed her sister and Blake the creature like it was her baby. "This is Ramen."

The revelation caused Blake to scoff. "That's a stupid name."

"See?" Weiss said knowingly as she stared at her girlfriend. "It's a stupid name."

Instantly, Ruby retorted like she was fed up. "You're both stupid names!"

"It's not like we're gonna keep it," Yang mentioned, admiring the bright yellow ringlets.

Happily, the blonde rubbed the scales. It didn't look like the little guy was going to shed anytime soon. It probably did recently. The hot weather was perfect for reptiles.

Since Yang was hot, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Even the shade under dozens of trees didn't cool her down. They'd been hiking for quite a bit without a break.

"I'm sweatin' up a storm," the blonde breathed. "My hair's so annoying."

"I know," Blake grimaced, her posture a bit slouched. "It's hotter than hell. My neck needs some air."

"Eheheeheh," Ruby wiped her hands through her scraggly hair. "I'm good."

"Of course you are," Yang almost giggled. "If you tried to put up your short hair it wouldn't even be a nub!"

Blake couldn't help but burst into giggles at the image of a tiny nub on top of Ruby's head. It was a sight to behold. One she wouldn't mind actually seeing in reality.

"Heyyyyy," Ruby whined. "It's not _that_ short!"

While they conversed, Weiss held up her wrist for them to see. She had multiple hair ties around her wrist for a situation like this. This is exactly why she had her hair up. It was a pain to manage sometimes. Especially during the warmer seasons.

"I have plenty," Weiss offered with a small smile. "It's working for me so far."

Her side ponytail game was strong and showed no signs of wear-down.

"Oh, thanks," Yang gladly accepted a black hair tie. At first, she was taken aback by how quickly her friend offered to help. But she accepted it as her being in a good mood as she pulled her hair up.

"Can I have one?" Blake asked. She'd rather not search her entire bag to find her own. And there were multiple ties on her friend's wrist.

"Here," with that, Weiss handed her one.

"Can I have one?" Ruby asked.

"Of course, dolt."

After Ruby grabbed it, she bent down and let the snake slither away. "Bye, little guy. Have a fulfilling life!"

Blake just watched Ruby giddily wave goodbye to the snake. "How wholesome."

All the snake did was stick out its tongue before slithering away. It didn't take long for the noodle to blend into its surroundings.

Happily, Ruby tied her hair back. The result was a tiny ponytail compared to her friends. And just as adorable. Weiss got one look at her and blushed. It wasn't often that she saw her girlfriend's hairstyle like that.

During the momentary quietness, Blake's cat ears flickered. There were some sounds in the distance. Promising noises that almost got her excited.

"Rushing water," the faunus said, which earned eager eyes.

Knowing she had enhanced hearing, Yang asked. "Where?"

"Follow me."

Since her friends wanted to cool off, water should do the trick. It was a much-needed break. Hopefully they could relax a bit after hiking for a few hours.

"Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy," Ruby rambled. "Weneedthissobad."

"It would be nice to cool off," Weiss mentioned, taking note that her girlfriend was excited. She only talked like that when she was overly eccentric about something.

It didn't take long for them to hear the fast-paced stream. After passing through a treeline, the group finally saw it. The water was full of hopes and dreams that sparkled.

"It's so blue!" Ruby's silver eyes twinkled in anticipation. "How's this possible?!"

"Woah…" Blake's jaw dropped. "It's like a really clean pool..."

Yang smirked, proud of her upcoming joke. "Guess we should pee in it, then."

"Eeeew!" Ruby yelped in disgust. "Don't pee in pools! That's gross!"

"Everyone does it," Yang said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Especially in lakes and other bodies of water."

Weiss sighed and glanced to Ruby. "Remind me to stay away from her."

"But you do that anyways," Ruby pointed out jokingly.

"Can't be too cautious," Weiss replied.

Even Blake took a big step away from her girlfriend.

"I'm just tellin' the truth!" the blonde exclaimed. "Anyways, I'm goin' in."

"What about-" Weiss tried to protest, only to see that Yang went for it as she tore off her shoes like lightning.

The rest of Yang's clothes were fine if they got wet. She was wearing her yellow tank top and nike shorts. Nothing she was afraid to get soaked. As long as her good hiking shoes were spared, she was all good.

"Ah~" Yang practically sang as she got knees-deep in the rushing water. "Feels so nice…"

Instantly, she began splashing the chilly water on her face. That rubbed off some dirt and grime. Such a relaxing feeling.

The white rose couple exchanged a quick glance before joining her side. Naturally, they took of their shoes. When they got knees-deep in the water, it didn't take them to start messing around. However, they were careful. They had to have a good grip in the mud due to the rushing waters. For the most part, the three were stationary to avoid being swept away.

Noticing that Blake was just watching them have fun, Yang called.

"Come on, Blake! You can do this!"

She was well-aware that the faunus didn't like water, but it was worth a try. Blake had that look on her face that she just needed a little convincing.

"B-but-"

Yang cut her off. "No buts! Just do it!"

That comment caused Ruby to snicker. "Hehehe, butts."

Weiss gave her a look. "Are you five?"

Ruby pouted and sank her lips on the surface of the water, blowing thousands of tiny droplets at Weiss' face.

"Agh!" Weiss held her hands out to block the attack as she giggled. "Stop it!"

Ruby snickered and continued the assault.

Yang ignored the two. "If ya do this, you'll be more _supuuurrrior_ than all the faunus in the land!"

Blake cursed herself, knowing she _hated_ water. But she felt so hot. Sweat beaded on her skin relentlessly, and there wasn't much shade to spare. Her friends seemed to be enjoying swimming in the cool river, and she was getting lonely.

"Fine!" she reluctantly shouted back.

Yang pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! That's my brave girlfriend!"

The faunus took a deep breath to prepare herself. Quickly, kicked off her black tennis shoes and approached the rushing stream. To test the waters, she dipped a toe in. Cold. Exactly what she needed.

"You can do it, Blake!" Ruby encouraged. "I promise it's worth it!"

Weiss looked over and saw a bubbly smile on her girlfriend's face like she was on cloud nine, causing her to shake her head. "Apparently, _too_ worth it."

With lightning speed, Blake ran into the water with a yelp. She immediately regretted her decision. But once she made it to her friends, she felt so refreshed. This was worth it. Her skin instantly cooled down.

The river wasn't freezing, but not hot either. Since a lot of warmth radiated from her head, she ducked under for a millisecond before breaching the surface. She opened her mouth to gasp, air filling her lungs.

Yang stared at the faunus and chuckled, proud of the joke she planned to say. "You're such a wet pussy."

Blake frowned, taking note of her smug smirk. "You wanted me to get in just for that stupid joke, didn't you?"

"You know me so well~" the blonde teased as she dumped a handful of water on her head. "The water isn't so bad, is it?"

"No," Blake shook her head. "This feels nice."

The corners of her lips quirked to a small smile. Seeing her girlfriends grin was worth getting in the rushing water. Overhead, a flock of birds soared in the sunny sky.

Behind them, Ruby and Weiss splashed water onto each other while giggling like school girls.

Blake was about to make a move to do the same to Yang, but then something felt… _off_.

The water. It was supposed to be cold, right?

Why was it warm-

"Yang!" Blake chided as she tried to waddle away. Each step brought her closer to deeper water. "What's wrong with you?!"

Weiss chimed in from a distance. "A lot of things."

Ignoring the heiress' sassy comment, Yang yelped. "What'd I do?!"

"I felt it!" the faunus yelped.

"Ah, shit-"

A yelp distracted the bumblebee pair. The white rose couple were splashing around. Ruby was trying to chase Weiss, who was yelping, trying to get away from her. It didn't take long for Ruby to catch up and hug her from behind.

"Gah!" Weiss exclaimed. "Ruby, get off me!"

Normally, she'd be all for hugging the lovable Ruby. Right now, it was a very uncomfortable feeling. Two people with soaked clothes in an embrace felt odd to say the least.

Ruby hugged the girl from behind tightly. This locked her in place.

"Aw, you know you love me! Accept it, Weiss! Accept my love!"

Fed up, Weiss whirled around and pecked her on the lips. That was so sudden it caused Ruby to blush and let her go.

"Accept _my_ love, dolt," Weiss said teasingly.

That made Ruby want to hug her even more. The look on her girlfriend's face was too adorable to resist, so she hugged her front side this time. In return, Weiss flailed around. This only made Ruby hold on tighter. Water splashed everywhere like a whirlpool.

"Ruby-"

The heiress was cut off when Blake yelped. This was followed by a loud flop. That stole their attention. Instantly, Ruby let her go so they could see what happened. Apparently, the faunus tripped over some rocks and fell backward. Since Yang was going over to the white rose pair to see why they were causing a ruckus, she couldn't prevent her girlfriend from falling.

"Blake?" Ruby called even though Blake was still under water. "You good?"

It didn't take long for them to notice that Blake was having trouble breaching the surface. She was several feet away from them, so maybe the water was deeper where she was.

There was a huge dip, so Blake had nothing to hold onto as the waters rushed over her. After several seconds ticked by, the group realized something was terribly wrong.

"Blake!?" Yang yelped.

Due to her flailing, it was easy to deduce that she couldn't swim. The faunus was being swept away down the stream at a terrifying pace.

"She can't swim?!" Weiss yelled in realization.

"I didn't know!" Yang shouted in concern.

Before more precious time went by, the blonde instinctively dove in. Who knew how much longer she could last without breathing. Or how long the river would carry her.

Without thinking, the white rose pair leaped in after them. After several seconds of swimming, the stream only got worse. The waters grew frantic, and they were left to wonder why.

Until they looked ahead.

A cliff.

* * *

 **Weeeelp this is escalating rather quickly, huh? Here's how I look at this chappy: Yang's pee might kill everyone.**

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	5. Frenzy of Emotions

"Blake! Grab on!"

Desperately, Yang reached out to reach her girlfriend. Yelling was no use over the rocky tides. Blake's eyes were closed as she was being swept away by the rushing water. It was hard for her to even keep her head up, much less reach out for the hand.

"Shit," the blonde cursed when she realized that Blake was unresponsive.

The faunus was a helpless doll in the frantic tide. It looked like she was going unconscious and gradually sinking under.

"Dammit!" Yang shouted and then coughed when some water rushed into her mouth.

Since Ruby was on the swimming team, she caught up to Yang easily. Because Weiss knew of her girlfriend's handy skills, she latched onto Ruby and let her lead the way. To Ruby, it didn't feel like anyone was on her. Weiss was just hitching a ride like some harmless fish. Even Ruby was struggling when every wave fought her, but she managed to get within a meter behind her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby warned. "Th-there's a cliff! We have to get Blake before-!"

Multiple violent waves crashed into Ruby's mouth and invaded her lungs. She coughed violently and fought to maintain her composure. That's when Weiss helped her stay above water by placing her hands on her back.

"Yang!" Weiss shouted. "You _have_ to get Blake!"

They all knew the outcome if she couldn't...

"I'll get her!" Yang reassured like she wouldn't let them down. Like it wasn't an option.

Without any regard for her own life, the blonde used the next big wave to dash forward. For once, the tide aided her and propelled her faster instead of blocking her every move.

She swam freestyle and finally yanked on Blake's limp arm forcefully. The faunus was almost completely under water until Yang pulled her into her chest protectively.

"Got her!" Yang declared.

"Thank goodness," Weiss breathed. "Ruby- Yang."

So few words, but not hard to understand. They couldn't risk talking or more viscous water would suffocate them. Ruby was already on it. Barely, she was able to grab her sister's leg. When Yang felt the pressure, she reeled them in so they could all huddle together.

"Hang on tight!" Yang ordered.

Since their lives depended on it, the girls formed a tight circle and held on. They were like leaves shaking in a hurricane. Yang kept a strong arm around Blake's waist and the other around her sister. Meanwhile, Weiss kept Ruby and Yang connected like a firm web.

The cliff was rapidly approaching. With each passing second, the girls only clung tighter and hoped-

The girls screamed bloody murder as they felt their weight being lifted like birds with broken wings. Their stomachs dropped as adrenaline took over. In midair, the girls somehow turned headfirst to see a clear body of water.

It was harder to hold onto each other with time ticking and gravity fighting against them. They clung desperately. If they let go, it could mean certain death. Somehow, Yang's back turned to face the water below. Anything to shield Blake from the inevitable impact.

With her adrenaline pumping, a frenzy of emotion exploded within Yang's soul. It felt _so_ right in this moment. Now, her cries and grunts were of sheer, unyielding determination.

Yang refused to let go of Blake, who was silent. Both of her arms wrapped around her. Behind Blake, Ruby held on for dear life. Weiss was above Ruby and clung to her like a koala to its mother.

Yang didn't care what happened to herself, as long as Blake was okay.

 _I'll protect you even if it kills me!_ Yang thought. _Even if my strength isn't enough, I'll make it work!_

Just after landing, Yang gasped underwater and choked as a result. The impact was like slamming into concrete. Before she could acknowledge the pain, she remembered that Blake was depending on her. Not only her, but her other friends as well.

With all her might, Yang hoisted them above water. She gulped the air greedily and coughed. When she heard gasps around her, her worries eased.

"Ar-" a cough from Yang. "Are you guys okay?!"

Ruby took a deep breath, savoring the oxygen as she tread water. "Peachy," she replied sarcastically.

Weiss gave her a thumbs up as she coughed a few times. "Is- is Blake okay?"

Yang was so focused on breathing that she failed to notice not a single sound came from Blake. Not the tiniest, feeblest breath for oxygen.

"Blake?!"

Frantically, the blonde put a finger to her neck. Her pulse was faint. Weak enough for her concern to shoot to the sky.

"Is she okay?!" Ruby asked, fearing the answer.

Instead of answering, Yang bolted to shore. Luckily, land wasn't far away at all so it only took a few seconds. Together, the white rose couple helped heave their friend out of the water. When Blake was laid on the flat grass, her head lolled limply to the side. Her friends huddled around her.

"Is-is she breathing!?" Ruby asked.

Yang already knew the answer to that. Instantly, she placed her hands on her girlfriend's chest.

 _I'm not gonna lose you!_ Yang thought.

Yang did thirty quick chest compressions before lifting Blake's chin up and opening her mouth. Quickly, she pushed air into her body twice before leaning back up and continuing the compressions.

"C'mon, sweetie. Please be okay…"

Ruby and Weiss could only watch and hope that their friend would be okay. Several more compressions went by. With each one and no response, concern and dread grew.

But Yang was focused. She was too busy forcing her girlfriend to breathe to think about what if she didn't wake up.

Several compressions and breaths later, at last, there was a sputtering sound.

Knowing water was about to erupt out of her girlfriend's throat, Yang lay her on her side so she could spit it all out safely.

A burst of water blew out as Blake coughed violently. Instinctively, the faunus grimaced and curled in on herself as she trembled. Ruby and Weiss pat her back like they were trying to make a baby burp.

"Easy there," Ruby said calmly.

Blake's face furrowed like she was fighting to wake up. After several more coughs, amber pools were revealed. All the colors and surroundings blurred together at first, but she recognized the golden hair. That brought her immediate comfort.

"-ou okay?"

"Ugh…" Blake groaned as her vision swam. "Yang…?"

"Can you hear me sweetie?"

Her cat ears barely flicked and Blake didn't have the energy to form a proper reply. "Mhm…"

"Oh thank god," Yang said in relief.

Vaguely, Blake could hear multiple sighs as she laid there. The grass itched a little, and her body weighed her down. She felt like lead.

A few more coughs. This made Weiss lean in closer to her ears. "Do you think you can sit up? It might be easier on your body."

"That- might be best…"

"Okay," Ruby said softly. "Brace yourself."

Together, Ruby and Weiss helped lifted her sit upright. Blake was dizzy at first, but her friends made sure she stayed steady by keeping their hands on her back.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked. "You gave us a real scare."

Since Blake was still out of it, her cat ears drooped a little. Cautiously, she focused on her body for any signs of injury. She still felt an adrenaline rush, but nothing felt odd.

"Shaken up but fine," the faunus deduced.

Weiss knelt and used a calm voice as she met golden orbs. "Why didn't you mention that you can't swim?"

In response, Blake dipped her head like she felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I know I should have-"

"Stop," Weiss interjected. "It's not your fault. We should have been more careful. The tides were too rough for anyone."

"They were too rough for _me_ ," Ruby added, referring to her swimming records back in school. "We should've stayed close to shore."

A light cough from Blake. She still had some water floating in her lungs from nearly drowning. The pep talk cheered her up a bit.

"You have nothin' to apologize for," Yang sent her a sunny smile, wiping her tears away. "If anything, it was my fault since I pressured you to join us."

"No, don't say that," Blake retorted like that was ridiculous. "It was my choice to come in."

Not knowing what else to say, Yang wrapped her in a hug. Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. However, the moment she lifted her left arm, she gasped and grimaced. It was a small sound, but enough for Blake to pull away and inspect her expression.

"Are _you_ okay?" Blake asked.

Yang looked down to the source of the pain. Her entire left forearm was a bright red. Probably from the crash-landing earlier.

"That's right…" Ruby mumbled as she looked at her sister like she was a hero. "You took the brunt of the blow."

Weiss just cringed from the sight. That had to hurt. It'd definitely warp to a dark color sometime soon.

From the revelation, Blake tilted her head. She was so confused. What blow? It was then that the faunus looked up to notice the waterfall. A light gasp worked its way out her throat.

"Did we…"

"We fell from there," Weiss confirmed her thoughts. "Luckily, it wasn't too high of a fall, but Yang was below all of us so she probably took most of our momentum when we hit the water."

From that, Yang just smirked like it was no big deal. "This is nothin'. Just a little bruise. I've had way worse from boxing."

Carefully, Weiss lifted Yang's discolored arm. "Are you sure it's just a bruise? It's not fractured?"

"Nah, I can move it just fine," the blonde reassured and waved it around to prove her point, grimacing a bit **.** "It'll be a nasty bruise, though."

Weiss looked concerned as she narrowed her eyes in thought. "As long as it's not broken."

"Ah, it's fine," Yang dismissed.

Before anyone could comment, Ruby blurted. "Yang, you're so awesome! You didn't even hesitate to jump in! You were so brave!"

Yang gave her a skeptical look. "Are you forgetting that you two followed right after me?"

Despite the cliff ahead, all three jumped into danger to save their beloved friend.

"But you did it first!" Ruby exclaimed.

Yang just shook her head. "Let's just be glad that it wasn't too high of a fall."

From the revelation, Blake's heart fluttered.

 _That means... she saved my life…_

Blake didn't know it was possible to fall even more in love with this girl.

The sun seem to shine on Yang and make her appear even brighter. Her lilac eyes twinkled under the light as she gazed at her girlfriend in concern.

Unable to hold back, the faunus closed the gap and pressed their lips together. Yang didn't expect it at first, but she melted into it. The kiss was light at first, but slowly grew more passionate and yearning as it deepened.

It was full of love.

Flustered, Ruby and Weiss turned away with blushes.

"Eeeeeew," Ruby muttered.

When the bumblebee couple was finished, they separated as the kiss echoed. Both adorned fierce blushes.

Yang smirked as she glared at her sister. "Don't act like you don't do the same thing with the princess."

That earned more blushes from the white rose pair.

Blake had to clear her throat. "Thank you for saving me."

If Yang's heart wasn't beating fast, it certainly was now. "N-no problem. It was only natural."

The bumblebee couple gazed at each other in solemn silence. While those lovebirds were lost in their own world, Weiss glanced around as reality set in.

"This is nice and all, but where are we?"

There were vast amounts of trees and shrubbery all around them. In front of them, the waterfall was a few stories tall and covered by cliffs. The water below was deep. Behind them was nothing but forestry on flat land.

"No clue, but one thing's for sure," Yang's tone switched to uncertainty. "We need to get back up there."

It took a moment to figure out what she meant.

Azure orbs widened as Weiss contemplated the situation. "Our supplies…"

From the epiphany, Ruby shot up. "They're stuck up there!"

Blake grit her teeth and set her jaw in unease. "Even our phones…"

There was no way they can call for help. And if they couldn't reach their supplies, the rest of the journey would be unbearably rough.

"Okay, no one panic," Ruby used a level-head. "There has to be a way back up."

Four brains was better than one. Cliffs towered in front of them. Behind, the land was a vast green covered in vegetation. They had very limited options. Either they could go into the wilderness and look for a way around the cliffs, or...

"The solution is right in front of us," Yang stated. "And it'd quicker. I'll climb."

"Not with that arm you're not," Blake shut that thought down. "I'll go."

"Nope!" Ruby blurted.

"But-"

"Nope!" Ruby stated. "You were unconscious just a few minutes ago. And you can't swim. If you fall in that deep water again..."

Weiss stood with confidence. "I can do it."

"Weiss," Ruby said firmly. "I have the most experience with rock climbing. And I have more upper body strength than you."

Yang frowned, of course her sister wanted to volunteer. "So that's why you want to do it."

Ruby shrugged. "It's really the only best option I can think of."

Weiss wanted to retort her so badly, but she knew both of her girlfriend's points were true. She wasn't happy about it, but accepted it and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be in the water to make sure you land safely."

Obviously, the cliff wasn't high enough to kill them on impact. It was just high enough to be intimidating. Although, Ruby was fairly confident she could reach the top.

"I'm counting on you to catch me," Ruby winked.

That made Weiss feel a little better and she pecked her cheek in support.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Rubes?" Yang asked, still uncertain. "We can find another way. There's always another way."

Confidently, Ruby smacked her hands together and popped her fingers.

"I got this."

From the display, Blake smirked. "She's more confident than you," she said, referring to Yang.

Ruby pointed to herself proudly. "I just got a kiss. I'm invincible now!"

That earned a few chuckles.

"Dolt."

* * *

 **Can Ruby climb all the way back up? If she doesn't then they're screwed XD no pressure Ruby. It's just a life and death situation is all.**

 **Stay dandy**

 **~Toto**


	6. We'll Figure Something Out

Her sweaty hand slipped and almost failed to grasp the next rock.

Multiple gasps. Ruby barely heard them over the loud waterfall right next to her.

"You got this, Rubes!" Yang encouraged. "You're so close!"

By this point, Ruby had been scaling the tricky cliff for several agonizing minutes. Maybe close to half an hour. After what felt like eternity, the ledge was near.

 _Why'd I volunteer to do this?_ Ruby chided herself. _This is hard! But I'm so close._

With a determined grunt, she firmly gripped the next rock that projected out the side of the cliff.

"You can do it!" Weiss yelled up at her.

Knowing that her friends believed in her, Ruby tightened her grip.

Below, the heiress was treading water. If Ruby fell, the calm water would catch her. And her girlfriend was there to make sure she'd be okay. Just in case Ruby didn't surface on her own, Weiss was there.

" _I'm experienced with rock climbing," I said._ Ruby bitterly thought hit herself on the rock. _Stupidstupidstupidstupid. Why was I so confident?_

Honestly, Ruby was proud she'd made it this far. This was one of the tallest cliffs she's had to climb. And the most dangerous considering the lack of safety equipment. None.

Like a monkey, she leaped to the next rock with a grunt.

Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she grimaced. It was hotter than hell. So hot that she was almost dry from previously falling over the cliff.

Reluctantly, Ruby looked down. She was dozens of feet high. She already had a backup plan. If she fell, she'd position herself into a pencil. She'd have to, or it'd hurt.

Weiss looked very concerned as she tread the water below.

"A little more!" Weiss said.

This damned cliff was like a skyscraper. The forestry below looked plain. The detail was lacking. Ruby glistened in a layer of sweat as she prepared for the next vault.

 _I can do this,_ Ruby thought to herself. _I have to. I can't let them down._

Knowing that they needed their supplies like food and water, Ruby sharply inhaled. They _needed_ this, or this whole trip could turn out to be a disaster.

By this point, her three friends below were full of hope. Ruby was _so_ close.

Ruby sprang over to the edge. It took all her upper body strength as her arms screamed in protest. With both hands, she gripped it for dear life as her body dangled.

On shore, Yang kept muttering. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…"

Blake placed a hand on her shoulder. "She can do it. She's Ruby."

That earned a nod.

With all her might, Ruby heaved herself up when she had a firm grip. "Got it!"

She could've sworn she heard clapping, but couldn't look down to confirm.

However, due to her extra weight and fragile eroding rocks, the edge crumbled when she tried to pull herself up. Ruby gasped as her hand slipped and she tipped backward.

"Crap!" Ruby yelped.

Disappointment overflowed her entire form. She felt like a failure as she fell. Before she could mope about that, she whipped around. It felt like the drop was never-ending as her stomach dropped.

In a rush, Weiss swam out of the way. She was directly under her girlfriend and preferred not to get hit by the flaming red blur.

It took longer than she liked, but Ruby finally got into a pencil position for the impact.

At last, she smacked into the water. When the coolness engulfed her, she felt the effects her body had suffered. Her muscles strained, her heart was pounding, she was out of breath, and most of all, she was frustrated.

To be so close...

It didn't take her long to surface as she gulped for oxygen. The water was cold, which was refreshing. Her chest heaved as she struggled to just tread. That was a more intense workout than swimming practice! Her arms burned like they were on fire.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed as she swam over to her, keeping a hand on her back to hold her up. "Are you okay?"

Angry with herself, Ruby slapped the water with a frown.

 _I was so close!_ Ruby thought in despair. _I can do it. I know I can!_

Concerned, Weiss asked gently. "Ruby?"

"I'm sorry," Ruby said like she was ashamed. "I couldn't do it…"

"Nonsense," Weiss easily replied, which earned a skeptical look. "You did do it. The ledge was feeble, that's all. Your abilities aren't at fault here."

That cheered Ruby up a little bit. Some hope sparked in those silver eyes. This caused Weiss to smile in return.

"Let's go," Weiss offered. "You need to rest."

"No way," Ruby stated like there was no changing her mind. "I have a cliff to climb."

Weiss looked like she was going to drag Ruby to shore if she had to. "We don't need our supplies this very moment. Rest is important. You can't overwork yourself."

To make matters worse, Weiss felt Ruby's heart thumping rapidly through her back. She was still tired after that first attempt. To try again so soon couldn't be beneficial.

Ruby adorned a smirk when she noticed her girlfriend was overly concerned. "You and the water rejuvenated me."

Judging by the burst of sudden energy, Ruby wasn't lying. Although, Weiss found that hard to believe she could bounce back so fast.

"You're exaggerating."

Ruby perked a brow. "What if I'm not?"

Teasingly, Weiss leaned in and pecked her on the lips. The two held the kiss for a bit before separating.

"Woah..." Ruby mumbled. "I'm definitely rejuvenated now!"

That caused Weiss to smile. "Dolt."

From the shore, Yang stared at the couple. They shared a kiss, so her sister must be fine. But she wanted to make sure.

"Is my Rubes okay?!"

After the small rest, Weiss could tell Ruby had calmed down. Her heartbeat wasn't working in overdrive. To support her partner, Weiss answered for her.

"She's trying again!"

"What?!" Yang yelped.

Glad that her girlfriend trusted her, Ruby sent her a wide smile.

Blake joined Yang at the edge of the water. "She needs a break!"

"I'm fine!" Ruby reassured. "I got this in the bag!"

The faunus gazed at Yang knowingly. "She sounds like you."

Yang placed her hands on her hips. "Confident."

"Arrogant."

In response, Yang teasingly elbowed her in the side.

In the water, Weiss positioned Ruby to be hoisted onto some rocks. After struggling a bit, she pushed Ruby up so she could gab into the first rock sticking out of the cliff.

"You got it?" Weiss asked.

"Uh-huh," Ruby confirmed as she hoisted herself up.

Now, she was completely out of the water, but she was soaking wet. This attempt might be even harder. Her hands were slippery, so the rocks were harder to grab onto. Everywhere she stepped left a trail of water and made her lose friction.

Yang watched with a curious gaze. "She's struggling way more."

More than a few times, her sister had slipped. Several minutes went by and there were so many more close-calls.

"She's exhausted and soaked," Blake observed. "That's not a good combo."

"My little Rubes is such a trooper," the blonde said proudly.

Despite this new challenge, Ruby still somehow managed to make it about halfway up before she lost her footing.

"Wa- agh!"

Like a doll, Ruby fell and flopped into the water. Luckily, she managed to land head-first and forcefully exhaled to prevent water from rushing into her nostrils. Simultaneously, she squeezed her eyes shut.

When she surfaced, Weiss was there with concern written all over her features. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Ruby said as she wiped the water from her eyes. "Just frustrated."

"You did well," Weiss praised, which earned a grin from her partner. "Let's go back to Blake and Yang. We can- agh!"

Suddenly, Weiss held onto her girlfriend for what seemed like dear life. The couple held onto each other as they tread.

"What's wrong!?" Ruby asked, frantic.

Her girlfriend lost her composure so quickly. That was so unlike her. The sudden yell grabbed the bumblebee pair's attention. Yang was about to dive in-

"A fish touched my leg!" Weiss yelped, unable to ignore the slimy feeling on her calf.

From the shore, Yang frowned while Blake chuckled a bit. They thought something was threatening their lives. Turns out it was just a stupid fish.

"Whata drama queen," the blonde muttered.

"She should've caught it," Blake said after a sigh. "Fish sounds nice."

Yang shrugged like she was indifferent. "Who knows, we might end up doing that."

Until now, it had been relatively quiet besides the waterfall. There had been no animal noises, which was odd. The realization caused Blake to look to the sky. Just as she feared. A surge of dark clouds was drifting ominously toward them.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" Yang asked, which earned a flick of her cat ear.

Based on her worried tone, the faunus caught onto the fact that she was referring to her drowning earlier. The last thing Blake wanted was to worry her girlfriend, but she was touched that Yang cared so much.

"You almost died, you know…" Yang continued, not liking to think about it.

To comfort her, Blake held her hand. "I'm fine thanks to you. I promise. We can talk about that later. For now, we need to find shelter."

"What?" Yang asked and then looked to the sky. "Ah, crap. We can't catch a break."

"It seems so," Blake agreed.

Ruby and Weiss joined their side. From the water, they were soaking wet. Weiss appeared to be proud of her girlfriend's efforts, but Ruby apologized.

"I'm sorry, guys," Ruby said dejectedly. "I tried…"

"No, I'm sorry," Blake replied genuinely as she met her gaze. "If I didn't fall, we wouldn't be in this mess."

In response, Yang set a hand on her back. She was about to retort that, but Weiss came forward.

"Don't blame yourself. We can always try again later. Right now, we have other things to worry about."

It didn't slip by her that a storm was brewing. The wind suddenly whipped by and the temperature had dropped a few degrees. Ruby and Weiss were beginning to feel cold instead of lukewarm. Before now, the sun had ensured they wouldn't be cold when they got out of the water. That wasn't the case any more.

"Shelter, right," Ruby nodded to herself. "Onward!"

Despite the situation, Ruby tried to remain chipper. She noticed that her friends were feeling down, so she wanted to keep their spirits lifted.

Naturally, the three girls followed Ruby and walked deeper into the wilderness in search of shelter. They had no clue what they were looking for. They figured that they'd know it when they see it.

"What do we do for food?" Blake suddenly asked. She liked thinking ahead and to have a plan. Something Weiss appreciated. "Our food is all the way up that waterfall."

"Dad knows we're out here," Yang reassured. "When we don't come back in a couple of days like we said, he'll notice and get help."

To match her concern, Weiss said. "What about now? We'll need food eventually."

"We'll figure somethin' out," Yang replied. "When the bruise bothers me less, I'll give the cliff a go."

Her reply filled them with some semblance of hope.

Weiss smirked. "And I'll attract the fish again."

Immediately, Ruby whirled around and announced. "Not even fish can resist those legs!"

That earned a blush as Weiss shyly glanced away. Blake and Yang giggled.

"You're right, Rubes," Yang said with a smug grin, which caused Weiss to be suspicious. "Even fish can see those pasty legs!"

"Hey!"

More snickers.

Suddenly, the girls felt the dreaded raindrops plop onto their skin. That made them pick up the pace. They just had to beat the storm.

"There's gotta be shelter somewhere," Ruby said.

Weiss playfully rolled her eyes. "This day keeps getting better and better."

Just after she said that, a downpour began. It was like the Gods were out to get them. The girls screamed in unison from the suddenness of it all.

"Way to jinx it!" Yang yelled.

This prompted them to sprint even faster. At this point, it didn't matter where they were as long as they had some form of protection.

"It's my fault the sky decided to rain!" Weiss shouted back, hoping she'd realize how moronic that sounded.

"Glad you agree!" the blonde yelled. "This is such crap luck!"

Weiss almost scoffed from that. "We never even had _good_ luck!"

"Over there!" Blake pointed.

In the distance, there were several trees squished together. The leaves above were thick, so not much water trickled through that particular spot. It was perfect. More than what they were hoping for.

"Good eye!" Ruby exclaimed.

The four bolted to the spot as the rain drenched them. What made them even more uncomfortable was the fact that they had no shoes, so mud clung to their feet. Since all four were drenched, they were freezing. The wind howled and swirled, causing them to form goosebumps and shiver.

Together, the group huddled under the dense leaves. The grass was wet, so their pants got even more soaked. Under the leaves, a few droplets landed on them, but not nearly as much as before. It would have to do.

"C'mere," Yang said as she coaxed the three closer together.

The group was shivering, but sharing body heat helped. Suddenly, Weiss sneezed. This prompted the girls to get especially close for some much-needed warmth.

Over the rain, Yang joked. "I hope you don't _schneeze_ again."

Groans.

* * *

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	7. Split In Pairs

Since the world cursed them with a monsoon last night, none of the girls got much sleep and spent the night miserable.

The rain only got worse, so the dense leaves didn't do much to cover them. Fortunately, now it was midday and the sun was high in the sky. The group had air-dried by this point.

To find a way to get to their supplies on top of the waterfall, the group split into pairs. For some reason, Weiss wanted to explore with Blake. Probably because the faunus wasn't rowdy like the sisters.

Weiss didn't have the energy to spend time with them. Weiss loved Ruby, but she was feeling off. Something wasn't right. And it wasn't the raging headache or the fact that they were lost.

Together, Blake and Weiss knocked over some tree branches, so they could continue their trek.

"I'll get this one," Blake said.

"Okay."

Firmly, the faunus carved a slash into a trunk. This was so they could find their way back and for the sisters to locate them.

Instead of commenting on the mark, Weiss walked past her friend and led the way. Every few feet they'd mark a tree.

The faunus watched Weiss walk by her in the corner of her vision. She looked exhausted. Then again, they all were. A cat ear flicked in thought. Her friend looked paler than normal, and they'd been out in the sun the last couple of days.

The uneasy pit of dread wouldn't leave.

"You okay?" Blake asked as she trailed behind her. "Normally, you're more talkative. And you look like you're in pain."

"Just a headache," Weiss dismissed. "I hope things will work out. I've never been in this situation before. It's… unsettling."

The faunus took note that her friend was very worried. "We'll find a way back up," she said with confidence.

Weiss glanced over her shoulder. "You sound like Yang."

"Just trying to be positive," Blake commented.

That caught Weiss' attention. "You- you almost died yesterday and you're acting like it didn't affect you."

Blake sighed as she recalled the memory. "I almost drowned once before that," the revelation caused Weiss to perk a brow. "It really comes down to me not being careful."

"I'm sorry you had to experience that," Weiss said, solemness trickled in her tone. "It can't be a welcome memory."

Water rushing into their lungs and choking them. Not knowing if they'd survive the fall or not. Not knowing if Blake would survive.

For a moment, Blake questioned why her friend was being so sentimental. She concluded that this had to be one of those rare moments they could only share if they were alone, so she appreciated that.

"It's not," the faunus agreed. "It can't be for you guys, either. None of you would've experienced that if I didn't fall over."

After Weiss marked a tree, she paused to give her friend the attention necessary.

"You can't blame yourself. We simply won't let you."

For the first time in a while, Blake cracked a small smile. "Thanks, Weiss."

That earned a tiny grin in return.

The two shared the pleasant moment for several seconds. When Blake decided to keep moving onward, she slammed her pinky toe into a vine on the ground.

"Agh! _Shit!"_

Azure orbs widened. Weiss had _never_ heard Blake cuss before. She couldn't even imagine that. To see it happen was amusing, but concern took precedence.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.

Blake grimaced as she stood there, trying to get over the throbbing. "I wish we had our shoes."

"That does complicate things a bit," Weiss admitted. "We should get a pedicure when we get out of here."

"I'd like that."

Since it was just a stubbed toe, the two kept trekking.

However, it didn't take long for Weiss to grow breathless. Blake had known her friend for years. A little hike like this was practically nothing, so she watched her the whole time. On occasion, Weiss lost her balance.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Blake asked, wanting to make sure.

Without answering, Weiss dropped to her knees. This elicited a gasp from Blake as she knelt by her side.

"I knew something was wrong!" the faunus exclaimed. "Hey, are you sick?"

Stubbornly, Weiss swatted her hand away when Blake tried to feel her forehead. This earned a confused expression.

"The situation is bad enough," Weiss explained as she narrowed her eyes in determination. "I'm not going to drag everyone else down."

Desperately, Blake searched her gaze. Blue eyes looked glazed over a little and she was sweating more than she liked.

"You have to tell us this kind of thing," Blake used a soothing voice as she placed a hand on her back for comfort. "You'd only worry Ruby even more."

"You almost died yesterday," Weiss said darkly. "We're lost, and now I'm sick."

Blake bit her bottom lip in concern. This shouldn't be surprising. Odds are, one of them would get sick from the downpour and spending the night drenched. Not to mention, they haven't had anything to eat for too long. The sickness and hunger had to weigh her down more than the others.

"We're heading back," the faunus decided.

"What? No, I can-"

"It's not because of you," Blake said firmly. "Look ahead. I don't see how we can make it up this way. It's a waste of time."

When Weiss was about to retort, Blake cut her off.

"I bet Ruby and Yang had more luck."

Weiss remained silent like she was blaming herself for getting sick. Blake knew the feeling all too well and pulled her in closely.

"We shouldn't have split up," the faunus said. "Do you think you can stand?"

"Of course I can."

* * *

"Agh!"

Her scream echoed through the forest and even caused some birds to abandon their nests. The sudden cry sent Yang into overdrive as she frantically checked on her sister.

"What?!" Yang yelped, thinking the worst "What is it, Rubes?!"

Quickly, Ruby pulled her hands away from the tree trunk and wiped them on the grass. "Sap! It's so gross!"

"Oh, for the love of- Ruby!" Yang chided. "It's just sap!"

"It'll _never_ come off," Ruby said like she was doomed. "This is the worst!"

"Stop your whining," the blonde rolled her eyes from how childish she was acting.

When Ruby heard that, she adorned a smug grin. Yang looked confused until Ruby lunged at her with her palms out. Successfully, Ruby smeared some sticky sap on her clothes and arms.

"Agh!" Yang yelped as she tried to push her sister away. "Don't drag me down with you!"

"Accept the sap!" Ruby pressed her assault.

After some wrestling, Yang managed to throw Ruby off her. Somehow, the blonde only got some sap on her arms. It wasn't enough, but still an irritating feeling. Overtime, the sap would fade but it'd be frustrating for a while.

"Aha!" Ruby claimed. "Now you have to suffer with me."

"I wasn't before?" Yang quipped.

"Fair enough…" Ruby mumbled. "I could really use some Goo Gone."

"We didn't even pack it," the blonde said. "You were doomed from the start."

A sudden gasp.

"What is it now?" Yang asked in annoyance.

"Deer. Behind you."

Her sister's tone did a huge one-eighty. This had to be the real deal. Sure enough, there was a doe in the distance. The sisters were shocked that they didn't scare it away from all the arguing.

The sight was beautiful. Like the brown doe was painted on a canvas. Some red was about to be splattered on it.

Ruby whispered. "Let's kill it."

At first, Yang was taken aback by the suggestion. But it made sense. They had no idea if they'd be able to reach their supplies. This would be a good fallback.

"That's actually not a bad idea," the blonde murmured, liking how her sister was resourceful. "We need to eat something. I'm sure Blake and Weiss would appreciate it… maybe."

The two loved animals and might be put off by the idea, but it'd been a while since they'd eaten. Might as well secure a meal now.

"You sneak around it," Ruby suggested. "I'll make it run right to you."

"It might spot me because of my hair," the blonde remarked.

"We'll have to take the chance," Ruby replied. "I don't know if I can take down a deer by myself, but you can."

To get ready, Yang swung her arms in circles. "Our chances are slim but this'll be one for the record books."

The sisters thought back to when Taiyang took them on camping trips. He taught them everything there needs to be known about hunting. Even hand-to-hand stuff like fishing with spears and carving knives out of wood.

Ruby smirked as she held out a fist. "Good luck."

"Thanks, but I won't need it," Yang fist bumped her.

With that, the blonde crept into the woods. It took several minutes to position herself. During that time, Ruby sharpened a branch. Now and then, the deer would lift its head and roam to another spot. This was the most frustrating part. When the sisters thought they were good to initiate, the deer began to move. By the time they were in good positions, the sisters were irritated, but ready.

When Yang gave her a thumbs up, Ruby hopped out from behind a tree. The suddenness of it all made the deer whirl around and bolt away.

Exactly where they wanted it.

When it was just a few feet in front of her, Yang pounced like a lioness.

"Agh!" Yang let out a war cry.

Instead of going for the main body of the animal, she tackled the legs. Anything to force it to the ground. Unfortunately, the doe was stronger than she anticipated. The opponents wrestled on the grass as Yang let out strangled grunts of effort.

Finally, she managed to pin down the larger animal. Once Yang squeezed her arms around its neck, it stood no chance. The deer was on top of her squirming as she bear-hugged it like some anaconda that kills prey by suffocation.

The moment Yang pinned it on top of her, Ruby was on them. In a rush, she impaled a vital spot through the back. In seconds, the deer's cries ceased screeching and it went limp on top of Yang. A trickle of red seeped out of the wound.

When the animal was finally still, Yang rolled the corpse off her.

"Yang!" Ruby called. "You did it!"

" _We_ did it," the blonde corrected.

Honestly, Ruby had her doubts. But she was glad their efforts paid off. That probably won't happen again anytime soon. Then again, if there was a next time, their friends might be with them. More help is always appreciated.

"Like…" Ruby continued to brag for her sister. "Holy _shit_!"

"Ruby!" Yang scolded. "Language!"

"Oh, shut up," Ruby said evenly. "We just killed a deer. That's a little more graphic than cursing."

Yang shrugged. "Good point."

Happily, Ruby held out her hand. Yang accepted it to stand. The sisters looked down at their reward.

"We should get back," the blonde suggested. "It'll take a while to cook."

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces," Ruby said.

Easily, Yang was able to heave the corpse over her shoulders. The doe was about two-hundred pounds, and she acted like it was nothing. Ruby watched her and her eyes twinkled. Her sister never ceased to amaze her.

"Woah… you sure it's not too heavy?"

"This is nothin'" Yang insisted. "Lead the way."

Proud of her sister, Ruby moved ahead. On every other tree, there were marks to follow back. After several minutes, Ruby recognized the markings had shifted to Weiss and Blake's forward slash marks. They were getting close.

To make sure Yang was fairing well, Ruby looked over her shoulder. She was fine. Just a little slow thanks to the heap on her back.

"We'll run into them soon," Ruby encouraged.

"Awesome," the blonde said.

She was looking forward to throwing the meal off her back. She didn't act like it, but there was a lot of pressure on her knees.

"Ruby!" what sounded like Blake yelled.

In the distance, there were black and white blobs. From the sight, Ruby gasped.

"They're here!"

Her giddiness was cut short when she noticed that her girlfriend was leaning on the faunus for support. From the realization, Ruby darted forward without sparing Yang a glance.

"Catch up."

Yang didn't seem to mind. It sounded like Ruby was concerned. She probably wanted to go find out what was going on.

"Guys!" Ruby greeted. "Is everything okay?!"

But Ruby could tell for herself. Blake was holding Weiss upright like she couldn't stand on her own. It looked like the heiress was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

Blake looked down to Weiss with her cat ears folded.

"She's sick," Blake revealed in a sad tone.

"Ohhh, Weiss…" Ruby mumbled as she gazed at her in concern. "No…"

Knowing what to do, Blake coaxed Weiss into Ruby's arms. Ruby held onto her with deep worry. Her girlfriend was hot to the touch, her face was red, and expression clearly pained.

"How long has she been like this?" Ruby asked, scooping her up bridal style.

"About an hour," Blake informed, keeping her eyes on her friend. "She took a turn for the worse on the way back. She needs rest and food."

At the mention of food, Ruby was hopeful. "We got a deer."

That perked Blake up. "I'm sorry, what? You got a what?"

"A deer!" Ruby exclaimed. "Yang did most of the work," upon seeing her skeptical expression, Ruby elaborated. "We got it with sheer willpower!"

Yang cut in. "We got the deer willpower."

"Ugh," Blake groaned from the sight of the carcass.

"We can all eat," Ruby said cheerfully.

She looked down at Weiss with concern swimming in those silver pools.

"You'll feel better in no time. I promise."

* * *

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	8. Oh No

"Deer's done," Yang announced.

Her voice echoed down the cave walls. Her three friends perked up from the news as they sat around the crackling fire. Until now, the occasional drop of water dripped to the rocky ground and masked the silence.

"Yes!" Ruby pumped her fist in the air triumphantly. "You hear that, Weiss? Food!"

As Weiss lay on Ruby's lap, she playfully rolled her eyes. She was _this_ close to falling asleep to fight off whatever illness ravaged her system, but the promise of food and a happy dolt were more than enough to snap her out of her stupor.

The heiress said in a bland voice. "I'm so terribly excited."

Deer wasn't exactly at the top of their menu, but it'd have to do. Currently, the girls had none of the supplies they'd originally brought with them, and catching a meal was more than lucky. They had no idea where their next meal would come from, so they had to eat what they could.

Yang cautiously poked a piece of the meat. "It's finally cooked. Not so slimy anymore."

The deer had taken several grueling hours to prepare. It had to be skinned, gutted, and cooked. Luckily, Yang and Ruby kind of knew what they were doing thanks to their hunting lessons taught by their father all those years ago. It was extremely hands-on work.

The sisters mainly prepared the dish. Since Blake and Weiss weren't used to this kind of morbid process, they sat it out.

Blake spoke up as she looked down at her white-haired friend. "You should probably eat some meat. It'll give you energy."

"You're right," Weiss said as she struggled to sit upright.

"Here, I'll help," Ruby offered.

Ruby was there to help her do sit up as she placed her hands on her back to coax her. Together, the white rose pair sat against the cave walls. Truth be told, even Ruby was feeling drained from today. She couldn't imagine how Weiss felt now that she was sick.

"Here ya go," Yang handed the meat over to her sister. "Honestly, it doesn't taste too bad. I think we did a good job."

Blake was munching on a piece and swallowed. "Fish is better."

"You're welcome," the blonde said teasingly.

That earned a light smile. "Thank you."

Eager to get some food in her girlfriend, Ruby handed some venison to Weiss. The heiress gazed down at the meat in suspicion. It looked like beef, so that was more comforting. Maybe if she pretended it was beef, she could hold it down.

Yang noticed her staring and jokingly said. "Don't worry, it's dead."

"Really?" Weiss quipped sarcastically. "I didn't notice."

Truthfully, it was more cooked than she thought it'd be. It's not like the deer would magically come alive and start kicking her face.

"Try some," Ruby encouraged. "It's kinda good."

The warmth of the fire and Ruby's body heat somehow heartened Weiss. Finally, she chewed on the meat. It was more tender than she expected. Definitely not what she was used to, but the food quelled any hunger pains.

"You're right," Weiss admitted. "It's not too bad."

Blake nodded in agreement. "We're lucky we found this place."

An isolated cave was the perfect spot to make a fire and prepare a meal. It was out of the way of any wandering predators and provided shelter. Not to mention, it insulated more heat than if they were outside.

Ruby pouted after she swallowed a piece. "Where was this cave when we needed it?!"

"Seriously," Weiss almost whined. "If we found it a day earlier, we wouldn't have been rained on."

"And you wouldn't have gotten sick," Ruby pointed out.

"I'm fine, really," Weiss said to ease her friends. When Ruby grinned at her, she briefly kissed her on the lips. "I'm feeling run down is all. A good night's rest should be all I need."

Blake sent her a small smile. "Glad to hear it. When you're good to go, we should leave and get out of this god-forsaken place."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," the heiress said after she ate a piece.

Yang sent them a smirk. "As much as I'd love to be in a cave in the middle of nowhere with you guys, I'd like to get home."

That earned small laughs.

After Ruby ate the final piece she was given, she said. "What do you think Dad's doing?"

"Freaking out," the blonde stated with no doubt. "At least, he will be when we don't come home tomorrow."

Blake put her head in her hands. "He's going to hate me…"

The blonde set a hand on her back. "No, he'll be glad when we get back. He wouldn't even think of putting the blame on someone."

The group noted that Yang spoke with such assurance. Like there was no doubt that they'd be able to escape the woods. That lifted their spirits a little.

The faunus just remained silent as she drew her knees up to her chest. She had her fill for today. Now that things were settling down, she was growing exhausted mentally and physically. She didn't have the energy to reply.

A quick glance across from her confirmed that Weiss was already drifting off. Her eyes were closed and her head rested against the cave wall. It looked like an uncomfortable position, to say the least.

By now, the sun had set. The fire in the center roared with life, creating a ring of light around the darkness. To enhance the lighting, the cave entrance gaped and allowed some moonlight to flow inside.

Instantly, Ruby noticed her girlfriend falling asleep next to her. She wanted to make her more comfortable and wrapped her arms around her. "Here, Weiss," Ruby whispered. "Lemme be your pillow."

"Mmm," was all Weiss replied.

It was a miracle she was still somewhat awake. She was like a doll in Ruby's arms. This set Ruby into an almost maternal mode. A sudden wave of protectiveness washed over her as she held onto her.

Gently, Ruby laid down with her. The ground was rough, but Ruby had slept on worse things. Carefully, she maneuvered her girlfriend's upper body to lay on top of her own. Weiss' head rested peacefully on Ruby's chest. Ruby almost squealed from the affectionate contact and didn't let her go as a smile never left her lips.

Since this had been a particularly rough day for them, Yang decided not to tease them and didn't comment. Ruby was too concerned for her girlfriend and Weiss probably wouldn't hear her, anyway.

Instead, the blonde faced her girlfriend with a shit-eating grin.

Knowing what that meant, Blake folded her cat ears. "What?"

"I love you _deerly_."

A small giggle escaped Blake's mouth. She couldn't help herself and grinned.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Violent snores.

That's all she could hear.

The cave only amplified the sound.

She felt her eye twitch in annoyance. Finally getting fed up, Weiss slowly sat up. It was then that she noticed she'd been resting on top of Ruby. Her body was soft like a fluffy body pillow. From the realization, Weiss blushed as she caressed her brown hair.

 _How is she so cute?_

Ruby's face was so peaceful. Like they weren't in a life and death situation. At least sleep could mask the nightmare of not knowing when they'd be safe.

The heiress almost got lost watching her dunce tranquilly sleep, but the snores ruined the moment.

Fighting the irritation, Weiss glanced out of the cave mouth. The sun was rising. It was still dark, but light rays trickled through the atmosphere. A very limited amount of light seeped into the cave, but it was enough to see now that the fire had died out.

Despite the fire being devoid of life, there was some warmth. Weiss wondered if that was because Ruby kept her warm all night. She blushed from the thought.

Ruby, to her, literally cured her. Weiss didn't feel nearly as fatigued, but still felt somewhat run down. Then again, maybe that was the result of the last few days and not the lingering illness.

That damned snoring assaulted her ears again.

"Yang," Weiss hissed in a murmur.

Across the cave in another corner was Yang, who was snoring to her heart's content. For the life of her, Weiss couldn't figure out how Blake hadn't woken up. She had the most sensitive hearing out of everyone here!

Together, the bumblebee pair was propped up against the cave walls. Their heads rested on each other's shoulders. Even while asleep, they looked exhausted.

Seeing as they needed sleep, Weiss left them be. Instead, she focused on Ruby and held her hand. Somehow, Ruby was warm in this cold cave. The realization earned a small smile from Weiss. Since she got an adequate amount of rest last night, she didn't try to go back to sleep. That would be in vain.

Especially since the snoring that'd been bothering her grew more intense.

"So help me-" Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Losing patience, the heiress reluctantly left Ruby's side and poked Yang's shoulder. No effect. Using another tactic, she lightly shook her shoulders.

Suddenly, Yang's snore whipped into a high-pitch as she groggily opened her eyes. "H-huh what's wrong?!"

"Quiet, brute," Weiss hushed her. "Stop snoring."

From the revelation, Yang frowned. "It couldn't have been that bad," she said, annoyed she was woken up.

Weiss was about to retort, but a monotone voice chimed in.

"It was pretty bad."

Low and behold, Blake was awake. From the looks of her widened amber orbs, she'd been awake for a while now.

Weiss sent her a confused look. "You were awake?"

"Duh," the faunus said obviously. "Who can sleep with that snoring?"

"Aw, dammit," Yang cursed herself. "Sorry about that, guys."

Blake sent her a small smile. "It's okay. I think it's cute. Weiss doesn't, though."

"How in the world do you find that cute?" Weiss asked.

The faunus just shrugged. "She's cute."

"Darn right I am," Yang agreed with a wide grin.

Blake smiled when she lifted her girlfriend's spirits. "Ruby snores sometimes, too."

"That's different," Weiss instantly replied.

"It's really not," Blake said, amused. "You're just saying that because she's Ruby."

From the comment, Weiss was left speechless. Her friend wasn't wrong.

Since there'd been more chatter in the cave, it wasn't hard for Ruby to wake up. The echo only pulled her back to reality like an anchor.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked in a haze.

"Yang's snoring," Weiss replied as she sat next to her girlfriend.

"Oh," Ruby said as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "You get used to it. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Weiss informed. "Sleep and food helped immensely."

"Whew," Ruby said in relief. "I'm so glad."

In response, Weiss kissed her on the lips. The couple held the kiss for several minutes, savoring the taste of each other.

A loud, obviously fake cough. That compelled them to separate.

"I feel like a creep watching," Yang said as she rolled her eyes. "Get a room."

Ruby replied without missing a beat. "A cave works just as well."

The friends never saw Weiss blush so fast.

"Now that everyone's awake," Blake began in a bargaining tone. "What's the plan?"

Weiss spoke, having thought of this ahead of time. "I don't suppose anyone knows how to get back to the waterfall from here?"

Collective silence.

A sigh.

Ruby reminded them cheerfully. "We still have plenty of deer left."

"We do," Weiss nodded, taking note that the pile of meat was bountiful and could last several more days. "Either way, we can't stay here. No one will be able to find us in here, and we certainly won't find a way out if we remain."

"What?" Yang asked curiously, not defensively. "You wanna leave our shelter? What if it rains again?"

Blake almost scoffed. "We suck it up. It's just a little water."

From the reply, Yang smirked. "If the kitten can handle some water, we all can!"

"Right," Weiss acknowledged. "And I'm not feeling nearly as bad as yesterday."

"Some rest went a long way," Blake observed.

"Glad you're feelin' better, princess," Yang said.

Involuntarily, Blake's cat ears twitched. To figure out why, the faunus glanced over at the mouth of the cave. Amber orbs landed on an outline of a broad creature. From the sight, her heart almost stopped beating all at once.

The dark outline suggested that this was a big animal. The shape silhouetted against the rising sun. It was on all fours and greedily sniffed the air. That harsh intake of oxygen was what caught Blake's attention, she deduced.

While her friends conversed in the background, Blake somehow remained calm as she contemplated options for a strategy on how to address this new issue. After a deep breath, she interrupted them with the ultimate poker face to not worry them.

"Guys."

In mid-sentence, Ruby stopped talking as they all gazed at her.

"What?" Yang asked, slightly nervous.

Her girlfriend sounded cautious like she was afraid to speak.

In response, Blake tilted her head toward the large animal coated in brown fur. The moment her friends saw it, fear struck their hearts. The beast stood on all fours, inspecting them cautiously. As beady dark eyes pierced their souls, time stopped. The silence was suffocating.

A bear.

"Oh no," Ruby breathed.

* * *

 **Oh no. oh no. OH YEAH!**

" **I love you** _ **deerly"**_ **-Yang**

 **Shadownightblade: "you can't love someone** _ **deerly,**_ **you murdered a deer!"**

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	9. Why'd You Do That?

"Oh no," Ruby breathed.

A _bear_ stalked the entrance of the cave mouth. A _bear_ for God's sake. What were four girls supposed to do against a _beast_?

Before anyone could even think, the beast inched into the cave. It sniffed the air greedily with each step. With each sharp inhale, the girls froze even stiffer. Their eyes never left the animal out of fear.

Since Blake and Yang were closest to the animal, they reacted first. On instinct, the blonde stepped in front of Blake, who was stepping backward to Ruby and Weiss further into the cave.

"Yang," Ruby warned in a stern voice. "Don't do what I know you're about to do."

Out of all people here, Ruby knew her sister best. Especially for how she reacted in times of danger. Yang was about to retort, but a menacing snarl cut her off.

Horror was written on their faces as the bear stared them down like its eyes screamed death.

Food was nearby and it was easy for the animal to sense that. It was smaller than the average grizzly, but still an adult. Blake gathered that it was hungry and needed any easily available food. Blake's eyes darted from the hunk of meat and back to the animal.

"The food," Blake murmured. "It wants our food."

Ruby was glued to the ground. "Th-then we should give it to him."

To get to the dear meat, the bear had to, at the very least, prowl past them. It seemed unlikely that it would go smoothly without incident. The animal was hungry and clearly frustrated from its grunts. A frustrated beast meant only one thing...

When Yang moved the slightest centimeter, the bear lunged.

Unfortunately for the bear, Yang was hoping for that.

"Yang!" Ruby yelped.

Instinctively, the blonde warped to a boxer's defensive position and barely had enough time to dodge a lethal swipe. She stepped back a bit, staying on her toes with her fists up. Since the animal was big, it was slower. Not to mention, it was hungry so that probably slowed it down a bit.

"Run!" Blake desperately exclaimed, terror gripped her voice. "We'll find a way-"

"Shut up!"

Never had Yang been short with her girlfriend. Just the thought of abandoning them twisted Yang's stomach in a knot. That wasn't an option. There was no way she'd leave them, so she'd fight. The other three felt useless as they just watched her bounce on her tiptoes in shock.

Fierce lilac clashed with beady, fearless eyes.

Weiss shouted to be helpful. "The eye!"

Before the bear could rocket another swipe, Yang cocked her fist back. With a war cry, she rammed her iron fist directly into its eye. Instantly, the bear recoiled with a growl.

For a moment, Blake had time to think. _Why's she always the one to throw herself into danger?!_

"Nice!" Ruby encouraged.

Without warning, the beast curled its paws into the ground and slammed into her midsection. Yang cried out as the daggers called teeth sank into her shoulder. The force was more than enough to knock her off her feet and ram her into the unforgiving ground. It was like a train running over a soda can. Like Yang was a mere speck of dust.

"Yang!" Blake yelped.

 _She can't dodge it forever!_

Even though the animal was in dire need of food, it still wielded immense strength. What felt like endless yells echoed throughout the cave as teeth crunched into the skin. There were sounds of ripping as Yang was tossed around like she was a rag doll.

Unable to watch any longer, Blake flanked the beast on the left side. This compelled Ruby and Weiss to follow on the right. Together, the three simultaneously punched both of the animal's eyes. In response, the bear finally released its iron grip on the poor girl.

The moment Yang was let go, Blake gripped her good arm and dragged her out of harm's way.

The bear still stood there, trying to focus its vision. Ruby and Weiss remained vigilant and kept its attention focused on them. Two against one was better odds.

"Agh!"

Not knowing what to do against a _bear_ , Ruby's body reacted without command and kicked it in the snout. The blow held enough force to hear a few bone-cracking sounds. When Ruby removed her foot, Weiss shattered the side of its face with another kick.

For the first time, the bear sounded scared as it let out a squeal akin to a mouse. The combined hits told the animal that this was an unmatched fight, so it decided to turn tail and flee.

Like she couldn't believe it, Weiss mumbled. "It's leaving…"

Ruby heavily panted as her adrenaline cooled down. "And stay away, you big fat meanie!"

In victory, the heiress sent Ruby a smile. "Good job, Ruby."

"You too, Weiss," Ruby grinned. "I didn't know you could kick that hard."

"I could say the same about you."

"Yang?! Come on, you have to wake up!"

Blake's frantic voice reverberated through the cave. The white rose pair were so glad to force the beast to flee that they almost forgot why they were completely fine in the first place.

"Yang!" Ruby yelped in realization.

In the corner, Blake leaned over her girlfriend with tears streaming down her cheeks. Yang lay below her almost motionless. Aside from her scrunched up face and squeezed shut eyes.

"I'm fine," Yang hissed through grit teeth as she clutched her shoulder with a death grip. "Are you guys okay?"

Together, Ruby and Weiss knelt next to the downed blonde.

Weiss could tell she was in unspeakable pain, so she used a calm voice in a vain attempt to soothe her. "Only thanks to you."

"Yang, you were awesome," Ruby praised. "Reckless and an idiot, but awesome."

From the comment, Yang managed to crack a small smile. Until another a round of throbs burned her shoulder.

"Agh!"

From the cry of pain, the three leaned in to give her their full attention.

Blake used a soothing voice to try to calm her down and gingerly caressed her cheek. "You have to let us see the wound, sweetie."

But Yang didn't reply. Maybe she was in too much pain to speak as her face remained scrunched. In worry, Blake frowned as her face was written with concern.

"Please?" the faunus pleaded. "We can't help you if we can't even see it."

It appeared like Yang was coming down from an adrenaline high and couldn't process her words coherently as the pain laced her body. To help, Ruby gently held her sister's hand and brought it down to the ground.

The sun was barely peaking above the horizon, so rays trickled into the cave. Fortunately, that allowed them to access the wounds. There were vicious teeth marks as expected. A small trail of ripped open skin hauntingly carved her shoulder. It wasn't too deep and a flow of blood seeped from the wound.

From the sight, Ruby grimaced. "Yikes…"

Since there was so much blood, Blake tried to wrap her head around how the hell they'd even try to heal her. "H-how can we-"

A tearing sound lingered in the cave. It was then that Ruby and Blake looked up to see Weiss, who was ripping the sleeves off her shirt.

"What?" Weiss asked genuinely. "We can use our clothing to bandage her wounds."

"Uh, right," Blake stammered. Everything that happened was still processing. "Good idea."

"Genius," Ruby agreed.

Quickly, Ruby and Blake tore off their red and black shirts. Now, all three sported makeshift tank tops that were cut, torn, and dirty. Not that it mattered. Yang needed help.

Ruby sat behind her sister and carefully lifted her upper body so they could get her at a good angle. The movement caused Yang to lightly gasp.

"Sorry, sis," Ruby whispered in her ear. "Please hang in there."

"You mean _Yang_ in there," the blonde said jokingly with a grimace.

That earned a chuckle.

As Blake wrapped the cloth around the wound, she quirked a small smile.

 _She's making jokes even after being attacked by a bear…_

Weiss lightly smiled as she tightened the red bandage around her shoulder. "You're back to normal already I see."

Yang scoffed as she grimaced from the pressure of the bandages. "You think I'd let some weak bear take me out?"

"Of course not," Weiss replied like it was obvious.

Due to the lingering adrenaline, Yang didn't feel much of her injury. It was mostly numb, but she did feel some pressure every now and then. It was an odd feeling. Like she was avoiding stepping on needles.

"How bad is it?" Yang reluctantly asked.

"It's…" Blake paused, searching for the appropriate word. "Moderately bad."

Yang perked a curious brow. "What does that even mean?"

From her friend's response, Weiss elaborated on what she thought she meant. "It could be worse for a _bear_. Far worse. I think you got off easy, again, considering it was a bear that attacked you, but the wounds aren't something to take lightly."

"Exactly," the faunus agreed with her choice of words. For a moment, she stared down at her girlfriend.

"That's good," Yang said.

Happily, Ruby squeezed her arm to reassure her that she was here. "I'm so glad."

A nod. Ruby felt her head shift against her chest.

"Why'd you do that?" Blake asked.

The question lingered in the cave. The three girls remained silent as Yang contemplated it. It didn't take her long at all to form an answer.

"I didn't want any of you to get hurt. I'd rather it be me."

"Idiot…" Blake mumbled fondly as she nuzzled into her shoulder. "You reckless idiot…"

In response, Yang tiredly smiled up at her as she placed a hand on the back of her head.

Ruby chimed in a teasing voice. "Hey, that's my line."

At last, the faunus and heiress finished patching her up. The two exhaled in relief. Blake leaned back and curled her fingers into her girlfriend's abdomen.

"Hey," the blonde said in a reassuring tone. "Don't feel bad. It'll make a cool scar."

That elicited a few laughs.

"Honestly…" Blake sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Kiss me?"

"Ew," Ruby gagged.

Weiss gave her an amused look. "She just saved us from a bear. I think she deserves a kiss."

"Oh, Weiss," Yang said sarcastically. "If you wanted to kiss me, you should've said so."

"Blake, shut her up already," Weiss said in annoyance.

Happily, the faunus leaned down and pressed their lips together. Naturally, Yang was on cloud nine to be kissing her girlfriend. Since the blonde was lying down, she drank in all of her lover. Their kisses of love echoed in the cave, which caused the white rose pair to look away with blushes.

The white rose pair allowed it for a few moments. As much as they could handle.

"Ooookay," after several seconds, Ruby had enough and gently pushed Blake off her sister. "Time to separate the horn dogs."

The moment Blake separated, she held onto her girlfriend's hand. The bumblebee pair gazed at each other with smiles in solemn silence. Gradually, Yang tried to push herself up with one arm and grimaced when she put a little weight on her injured shoulder.

"Hey, easy," Ruby chided softly. "Are you sure you want to get up?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Ruby said, trusting her sister could handle it. "Brace yourself."

Only a little grunt escaped Yang's throat. When she sat upright, her hand gripped the injured shoulder as she grimaced.

Weiss inspected the injury, taking note of her pained expression. "Don't move so much or you'll bleed more."

"Roger that," the blonde replied, knowing that was how her friend showed concern.

Hesitantly, Ruby asked. "Do you think you can walk?"

"Duh," Yang replied like it was obvious. "My shoulder got hurt, not my legs."

"Well sooooorry for worrying!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Ruby's right," Blake agreed as she slid by her side, taking her good arm and wrapping it around her shoulders. "It's best to leave this place."

It was only a matter of time before the bear came back. It appeared desperate for food and it could overpower them easily. Hopefully, it wouldn't realize that.

Gingerly, Blake wrapped a hand around Yang's waist. Yang grunted when she moved to stand, so Blake stopped until she gathered herself.

"Are you okay?" the faunus asked.

"Yeah…" Yang said, seemingly out of breath.

From the pitiful sight, Weiss frowned. "Ruby and I will get the meat. You just focus on her."

If they were going to leave their safe haven, they needed food. They had no clue where the next meal would come from, or when they'd escape the forest. Food was utterly necessary to bring along. Good thing Weiss mentioned that, otherwise they might've forgotten the meal since they were so focused on Yang.

"Kay," Blake said.

Together, the four hobbled out of the cave, hoping that the nightmare would end soon.

* * *

 _This is weird. They should be back by now._

As Taiyang washed the dishes, he was lost in thought. His kids and their friends should've arrived home a few hours ago. At first, he thought maybe they took a few detours along the way so maybe they'd be a little late.

But then he called their cell phones. All four went straight to voicemail.

There was this sinking feeling in his stomach. A pit of dread- a gut feeling. In the past, these feelings were never wrong.

Concerned, Taiyang pulled out his phone from his pocket. It might be too soon, but this was the right thing to do.

His girls needed help.

He could sense it.

* * *

 **Stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


	10. A Spec of Hope

Until now, the four girls had been walking for what seemed like forever. When it had only been about an hour. Figuring out where to go was futile, so the group settled on going in one direction continuously.

"I could really go for some cookies right now," Ruby whined.

Blake nodded in agreement. "Or tuna. That'd be nice."

"I want Caesar salad," Weiss simply said.

"You know what'd be really nice?" Yang egged her team on with a grimace. "First aid treatment."

That statement caused her friends to go silent and frown. They felt like such whiny teenagers when their blonde friend was still bleeding from a vicious bear bite. Until now, Yang never complained about the injury. It must be acting up.

In response, Blake adjusted her taller friend and tightened the grip around her waist. "Hang in there. We'll be out of the woods soon."

Weiss gave her a skeptical look. "You say that so easily, considering we've been trapped here for several days."

"Now's different," Blake stated.

"How so?" Weiss asked, curious.

All the faunus did was glance down at her girlfriend's bloody shoulder. _Now that Yang's hurt…_

Noticing her troubled expression, Weiss went silent. Of course Blake was worried about Yang. It was only natural that she was more determined than ever to escape.

"Does it hurt?" Ruby asked her sister, afraid of the answer.

Experimentally, Yang wiggled her arm. She was met with resistance when Blake tried to keep her stiff.

"Just throbbing a little is all," the blonde reassured. "I think the clothes really helped with staunching the blood."

"That's good… I guess…" Ruby mumbled.

Despite her saying that, the bandages that were once red, white, and black were now dyed crimson.

"We'll get you cleaned up," Weiss said as she gazed at Yang. "When we get out of here, you can take a long, hot shower."

From the mere thought, Yang smiled. "Ah, god yes, please."

"That sounds so nice," Blake agreed.

"Wanna join me?" Yang asked with the wiggle of a brow.

Flustered, Blake yelped. "Yang!"

Ruby wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Eeeeeeew."

Yang rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Don't pretend like you and the princess don't do it."

If Weiss had anything to say, she didn't say it. The last thing she wanted to do was argue when her friend was like this even though she was the one initiating this suggestive conversation. Weiss refrained from retorting, but Ruby was a different story.

"W-we don't!"

A stutter. That was all Yang needed to latch onto.

"Oh?" Yang smirked. "What do you like best, Weiss? Hot or _weiss_ cold? Probably cold because of your icy heart."

The shit-eating grin caused Weiss to almost explode. She was even called out. Yang really knew how to get under her skin. Before Weiss could reply, Ruby beat her to it.

"She likes lukewarm!" Ruby blurted.

The sudden outburst caused Weiss to blush. Suddenly, she was feeling flustered instead of angry. Her adorable dolt was unintentionally revealing the intimate details of their relationship.

The exclamation caused Yang to perk a brow and her tone to raise a few octaves in surprise. "How would my baby sister know that?"

Weiss could tell that Yang was becoming a little defensive. The blonde was stiffer than before. Blake could feel it, and Weiss could see it.

"Get your head out of the gutter, brute," Weiss tried to defuse the situation. "I simply told her in passing."

"No one talks about shower temperatures 'in passing!'" Yang quickly replied. That seemed like such a ridiculous topic. Then again, she was the one who brought it up.

"Are we not now?" Weiss retorted.

"If it really was 'in passing' you guys are the weirdest couple ever," Yang said calmly.

She was willing to give them the benefit of doubt. Deep down, she knew but didn't want to think about her sister doing _those_ kinds of things.

Unintentionally, Blake's cat ears flickered several times. It wasn't from the conversation but from a random noise. It didn't belong to nature.

"Guys, quiet," the faunus said.

"Why, what's up?" Yang asked. Her interest peaked when she noticed her girlfriend's ears flicking wildly.

Barely, Weiss noticed that her faunus friend's amber orbs lit up. "What do you hear?"

"This way," Blake directed.

Together, the four turned to the left and trekked on. The grass crunched under their feet and the trees blocked the sun. With every step came a new foreign sound. The girls had been so used to the cicadas and birds that now they recognized these new sounds weren't 'normal' for a forest.

Ruby gasped, realization hitting her full force. "Is that what I think it is?!"

"A car's engine," Weiss deduced with narrowed eyes.

"It's getting faint," Blake pointed out. "We have to hurry."

With that, the friends picked up the pace. It was true that Yang was hurting, but now she was more determined than ever to reach civilization. She could tell her friends were, too.

The car was a spec of hope. If there was a car, there was a road. If there was a road, that meant even more cars would come by and maybe they could get out of here!

Just as predicted, a road was in the distance. The view was skewed a bit thanks to the vegetation, but it was there.

"Are you kidding me?" Yang complained jokingly. "It isn't even that far from the cave!"

"Yeah, I think we're done with this," Blake sighed.

Ruby looked over to check on her friends, noticing that they were all exhausted. Her girlfriend, in particular, masked the exhaustion well, but she could tell from the bags under her eyes. Yang was hurt, Blake was worried sick and tired. Ruby herself could feel the effects from the last few days. Her body was very run down. Not to mention, it'd been a while since they ate.

"I think we all are," Ruby observed.

Weiss nodded in agreement. "The good news is that we found a road. That's more progress we've had these last several days… The new problem is how we're going to convince strangers to give us a ride?"

"We hitchhike," Blake said casually and held her thumb up. By this point, she didn't care if she was picked up by a serial killer. She just wanted to _sit_ at least.

Yang smirked at her girlfriend's hand gesture. "No, no. You're doing it wrong. If it's a guy that comes by, you have to flash them."

Not even fazed by the comment, Ruby asked. "What if it's a girl?"

"Everyone loves boobs, Rubes," the blonde said like it was obvious.

Weiss groaned in annoyance. "Do you ever take a break from being a brute?"

"Are you tellin' me you don't like boobs?" Yang asked, unable to fathom the idea of disliking them.

From the inappropriate question, Weiss crossed her arms. "I'm no longer engaging with you."

"You didn't say 'no,'" Yang pointed out.

"Yang," Blake called. "Come on, we're so close."

"This just means I have a limited time to annoy you," Yang said with a smile. "I have to use all the time I have-"

A gasp from Blake. That cut her off.

"Someone's coming!"

From the announcement, adrenaline began pumping. They couldn't screw this up. Who knows how long it'd take for someone to actually stop and pull over. They weren't exactly a friendly-looking group. All of them were covered in mud, scratches, bruises, and blood.

"Hurry," Yang shouted. "Someone take one for the team!"

"You do it!" Weiss retorted.

"I'm pretty sure if they see blood they won't pull over," Yang replied.

A blue Escape car rounded the corner with the engine roaring. Upon seeing the obviously distressed group of girls, the driver pulled over to the side and rolled down the window.

"It's a miracle!" Ruby cheered.

Cautiously, the girls approached slowly to not frighten whoever their saving grace was.

Before the girls could explain the situation, they got a look of the driver's face. She looked unamused as the four stared at her, wide-eyed.

Of all people...

"What in God's name are you four doing?" the driver asked with a deadpanned expression.

"Wha…" from seeing who it was, Ruby was left speechless.

"Glyn!?" Yang yelped.

"Ms. Goodwitch?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "Why're you here?"

"You know…" Glynda mumbled knowingly. "You all really messed up. Your names are all over the news. How did you avoid all the search parties? That takes talent."

From the news, Blake's jaw dropped. "I'm guessing Tai reported us missing?"

"Yes," Goodwitch said obviously, her tone suggested she was done with today. "Now get in my car, you moronic buffoons."

Gladly, the four hopped in and buckled their seatbelts.

"Thanks, Glyn," Yang said. "We owe ya."

"My students are so troublesome," Glynda rolled her eyes as she started up the car.

Before heading to safety, she glanced over to the passenger seat where Yang sat. Her hand was gripping her shoulder rather tightly, and the professor could see crimson seeping through her fingers.

"She needs a hospital," Blake asserted. "Now."

This was her professor, so Blake didn't want to be assertive. But her girlfriend was in pain and she was in no mood to beat around the bush or sugar-coat anything.

"Of course, we'll go there first," Glynda agreed, noting the faunus must've been worried sick. She tossed her cell phone to Ruby in the backseat. "Call your Father."

"Good idea!"

* * *

"Yeah, it's kinda annoying."

With her feet propped up, Yang leaned back on the couch. It'd been a couple of weeks since she and her friends were rescued from the depths of the woods. Still, people talked to her about the story all the time. They couldn't catch a break.

Ruby sat across from her and sighed. "I know. We get it! We're dumb."

Not amused, Weiss crossed her arms and scowled. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're right," Ruby nodded. "Just Yang is dumb."

"Gee, thanks, Rubes."

Cautiously, Blake leaned over to check on her girlfriend's shoulder. "How's the bite?"

To prove that it was healed, Yang pulled down the sleeve of her yellow t-shirt. There were several pinkish marks in the otherwise pale skin. It looked like an animal clawed at her, not bit her.

"Just a scar now," the blonde said proudly. "Told ya it'd look cool."

"Woooow," Ruby's eyes twinkled like the stars. "And you can actually tell people it was a bear!"

Sassily, Yang flipped her hair. "We're all so badass."

Suddenly, a new voice chimed in. It was Taiyang, who was holding a tray full of food.

"Who wants snacks?"

"Mememememememememe," Ruby was the first one to grab a few grapes when her father set the tray on the table.

"Thank you, Tai," Weiss said as she picked a few carrots.

"Eat up," Tai said. "We have to go get Bumblebee soon."

Groans.

* * *

 **In case you forgot, Bumblebee was abandoned in the mud! Has anyone noticed that Glynda typically saves them in my stories? Idk why it just kinda happens xD hope you liked it!**

 **Remember to stay dandy,**

 **~Toto**


End file.
